DUSHANBE, May 19, Asia-Plus  -- The Regional Security Office of the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe conducted two joint drills at the embassy compound on Sunday, May 18, with law enforcement officials from the Government of Tajikistan, press release issued by the US Embassy in Dushanbe said.  

The purpose of the drills was to test the interoperability of the various security forces, and rehearse the response to a simulated terrorist attack against the embassy.

The Ministry of Interior’s elite Militia Detachment for Special Purposes (OMON), the Dushanbe City Police Department, the State Committee for National Security’s Embassy Protection Service, and the embassy’s Regional Security Office all participated in the drill, which simulated a terrorist attack against the embassy.

Since the 1970s, embassy Regional Security Offices of the State Department Diplomatic Security Service have worked closely with law enforcement in host countries to ensure appropriate plans are in place to protect American diplomats and government installations.

The embassy appreciates the cooperation of the Government of Tajikistan in providing a safe and secure environment for the conduct of diplomacy.

In accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, host nations are responsible for the safety of diplomatic missions, and the Government of Tajikistan has been very responsive in that regard.  This collaborative effort by the Ministry of Interior, the State Committee for National Security, and the embassy is one example.