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Kyrgyzstan Detains Six Suspected Militants, Says Four Trained In Syria


Authorities in Kyrgyzstan say security forces apprehended six suspected militants, including four accused of undergoing training in Syria, in an operation in the southern Osh province last week.

A January 26 announcement from the State Committee for National Security (SCNS) said weapons and ammunition were also seized during the operation, which was launched on January 20.

It said four of the six men detained had undergone training at "camps of international terrorist organizations in Syria."

The SNCS press service said the six suspects also carried out armed robberies.

It said a search of the suspects' homes uncovered an automatic weapon, more than 1,700 bullets, clubs, and masks.

Officials in Kyrgyzstan and neighboring Central Asian states have been on edge as foreign troops pull out of Afghanistan and militant groups such as Islamic State make appeals to Muslims, including those in Central Asia, to join their ranks.

Based on reporting by Vecherny Bishkek and Interfax

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