Atyrau Man Gets 20 Years On Terrorism Charges

ATYRAU, Kazakhstan -- A court in Kazakhstan's western city of Atyrau has sentenced a local man to 20 years in jail on terrorism charges.

Orynbasar Munatov, 26, was found guilty of creating and leading a terrorist group, financing a terrorist group, and organization of terrorist acts. The trial was held behind closed doors.

Munatov was extradited from Pakistan in June.

The Kazakh Prosecutor-General's Office said in 2011 that a man named Orynbasar Munatov was one of the founders of Jund al-Khilafah (Soldiers of the Caliphate), a "brigade" of Islamist fighters based on the Afghan-Pakistani border that claimed responsibility for two explosions in Atyrau that year.

Atyrau and other cities and towns in western Kazakhstan have made headlines since 2011 following security operations in the region targeting Islamic extremists and terrorists.

Based on reporting by KazTAG and Tengrinews