As fighter planes roared overhead, China and Russia yesterday sent thousands of troops to liberate a country taken over by terrorists.
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Chinese soldiers cheer after they wipe out "terrorists" during the real-combat of the "Peace Mission-2009" joint anti-terror military exercise in Taonan of northeast China's Jilin Province, July 26, 2009. More than 100 tanks, self-propelled cannons, as well as more than 60 aircraft are fighting against "terrorists" in the 80-minute final performance of the five-day exercises. [Zha Chunming/Xinhua]
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Covered by intensive fire, special force snipers bailed out of helicopters as dozens of fighter jets, including Su 24 and Su 27 bombers, took control of the sky.
Tanks and infantry vehicles, along with 2,600 soldiers, filled the grasslands with sounds of gunfire, missiles and bombs.
The "terrorist" group of 31,000 was soon wiped out and the "country", set up temporarily at a military training base in Jinlin province, was liberated.
The joint military exercise between China and Russia that ended here yesterday was hailed a success for the countries' armies and air forces.
"It was fantastic!" said a Chinese officer at the site who declined to be named. "Did you see the 18 Chinese cannons? The bombs were shot at the same time and fell at almost the same place. And when the Russian paratroopers bailed out and formed a fabulous pattern, Chinese soldiers burst into applause."
Russian troops alone used more than 100 tons of ammunition yesterday, said the Russian Information Agency. China Central Television made a rare move by broadcasting the whole event live.
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A Chinese soldier parachutes to the ground during the real-combat of the "Peace Mission-2009" joint anti-terror military exercise in Taonan of northeast China's Jilin Province, July 26, 2009. More than 100 tanks, self-propelled cannons, as well as more than 60 aircraft are fighting against "terrorists" in the 80-minute final performance of the five-day exercises. [Zha Chunming/Xinhua]
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Despite some reporters' concerns for pilots over the shadows cast by the Chinese plane crash here on July 19 that killed both pilots, all planes flew safely yesterday.
Deputy Chief of the General Staff of Chinese Armed Forces Ma Xiaotian, and Nikolai Makarov, chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, said they were satisfied with the drill.
