Chinese soldiers and military vehicles head to the Chebarkul drill site in Russia, Aug. 4, 2007. Part of Chinese troops and Russian troops took part in adaptive trainings in the Chebarkul drill site on Saturday. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will hold an anti-terrorism military drill in Russia. [Xinhua]

CHELYABINSK -- The Chinese command, established for a joint drill of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, started operation on Saturday in a Russian military base where the anti-terrorism exercise will be carried out this month.

The exercises, dubbed "Peace Mission 2007" and scheduled to run on Aug. 9-17, will launch in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China, and later move to the Urals Mountain city Chelyabinsk.

The six member countries of the SCO -- China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan -- will all send troops for the drills.

About 6,500 troops and 80 aircraft are expected to take part in the drills, including 2,000 troops and 36 aircraft from Russia.

Part of the 1,600 Chinese troops have kicked off training program in the Chebarkul range after they arrived at the military base on Friday, sources of the command said.

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