Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee (NSC) has prevented two terrorist attacks since the beginning of the year.
The head of the NSC, Yermek Sagimbayev, made the announcement during a meeting with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Trend reported on Wednesday, citing Akorda.
‘Since the beginning of the year, 2 terrorist attacks have been prevented, 1 of them abroad with foreign partners. On the basis of criminal cases investigated by the NSC, 26 adherents of radical religious ideology were convicted for terrorist and extremist activities. Pre-trial investigations are ongoing against 22 others.’
According to Sagimbayev, 139 foreigners were prevented from entering the country and more than 280 foreign citizens were deported from Kazakhstan for extremist views.
‘More than 190 attempts to illegally introduce banned religious literature into the country were stopped, 19 foreigners were taken under responsibility. 237 firearms, 27 explosive devices, more than 4,500 rounds of ammunition and other means of terrorism were seized from illegal circulation,’ he said.
He also noted that since the beginning of the year, over 340 counter-terrorism exercises have been organised.
‘Within the framework of strengthening anti-terrorist security measures, the Interior Ministry and NSC forces carried out about 3,400 inspections at state and other facilities, including places of mass gatherings of people,’ Sagimbayev said.