KONIBODOM, February 16, 2009,  -- Activities dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan were held in Konibodom, Sughd province on February 15.

Konibodom mayor Hiloliddin Shamsiddinov and a number of other local officials attended the meeting that was held at the Afghan War Veterans.

According to Abduvahhob Rajabov, the head of the Konibodom City Council of Veterans of the War in Afghanistan, 309 persons are now registered with organization.  “The mayor’s office allocated 2,500 somoni for organization of the activities,” Rajabov said.

In Dushanbe, Afghan war veterans gathered at the monument to the Hero of Soviet Union Alexander Mironenko.  The meeting was organized by the Council of Tajik Veterans of the War in Afghanistan.

According to the Council, more than 15,000 Tajik nationals were sent to Afghanistan; of them, 366 were died and more than 1,000 others were wounded in that war.  Five Tajik nationals were given the title of Hero of Soviet Union; one of them – Alexander Mironenko was given this title posthumously.  9,400 veterans of Afghan war currently live in Tajikistan.