DUSHANBE , May 19, Asia-Plus -- Two transport aircraft of French Air Force with 250 military personnel on board landed at the Dushanbe airport today morning.  Thereby French military contingent deployed in Tajikistan has increased to 400, according to information from the French Embassy in Dushanbe .   

Besides, three French Mirage-200 jetfighters are expected to arrive in Dushanbe today evening.  The jets will replace six that were withdrawn from Tajikistan in November 2005.  The additional military personnel will stay in Tajikistan till September-October this year.  

As it had been reported earlier, six Mirage fighters stayed in Tajikistan from August to November last year to provide security in Afghanistan during the September 18 parliamentary elections in that country.  France removed those six fighters and 250 military personnel from Tajikistan on November 9 2005 , retaining 150 servicemen and two transport aircraft at the Dushanbe airport.  

The French military contingent has been stationed in Tajikistan since 2001, when the antiterrorist operation was launched in Afghanistan .  The French military contingent will stay in Tajikistan until the situation in neighboring Afghanistan remains unstable.  One of the main missions of the French military contingent stationed in Tajikistan is in providing assistance in shipping humanitarian cargoes to Afghanistan .