DUSHANBE, February 15, Asia-Plus - A group of Tajik veterans of Afghan War 1979-1989 today gathered at the monument to Hero of the Soviet Union Aleksandr Mironenko in Dushanbe to hold an event to mark the 18 ^th anniversary of the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan.  

Vali Sayorabekov, deputy head of the Council of Veterans of Afghan War 1979-1989, telling the meeting noted that more than 15,000 people from Tajikistan had done international duty in Afghanistan.  Of them, 7,900 served as military personnel and others as specialists and interpreters.  366 Tajiks were killed in action and more than 1,000 were wounded.  Five persons from Tajikistan were given title of Hero of the Soviet Union; one of them, Aleksandr Mironenko, was given this title posthumously.     

According to Sayorabekov, at present 9,400 veterans of Afghan War 1979-1989 live in Tajikistan. 

Veterans of Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 and representatives from the Dushanbe mayo’s office, Tajik ministry of Defense (MoD) as well as representatives from Russian Embassy in Dushanbe and Russian military base deployed in Tajikistan attended the event.  

In all, about 620,000 Soviets served in Afghanistan, with officers doing a two-year tour and enlisted men putting in 18 months.

Official Soviet casualties total 14,453 dead: 9,511 killed in action; 2,386 died of wounds; and 2,556 lost from disease and accidents.  Some 53,753 were wounded.