BISHKEK -- Authorities in southern Kyrgyzstan have detained a 19-year-old man suspected of recruiting fighters for the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria and Iraq.
The Interior Ministry said on November 16 that the Kyrgyz national was detained at Osh's international airport on November 14 while he was accompanying a recruit traveling to Turkey.
Police said the alleged recruiter, whose name was not disclosed, is a member of the banned Katibat al-Imam al-Buhari group.
Kyrgyzstan says up to 500 of its citizens might be fighting with extremist militants in Syria and Iraq.
The country's authorities say they have beefed up security after a series of coordinated attacks in and around the French capital on November 13 killed 132 people. IS militants claimed responsibility for the assault.