U.S., Israeli, Russian and Uzbek citizens and embassies possible attack targets

September 5
Associated Press

Kazakh officials are looking into possible terrorist threats against U.S., Israeli, Russian and Uzbek citizens and embassies in this Central Asian country, a security official said Thursday.

National Security Committee deputy head Baurzhan Yelubayev told the lower house of parliament in the capital Astana that authorities were conducting searches to prevent possible terrorist acts in Kazakhstan against citizens and embassies "from countries where terror acts have occurred." The countries he named were the United States, Israel, Russia and Uzbekistan.

However, Elubayev backed away from saying that authorities had indications of an imminent attack.

Elubayev also told lawmakers that security officials had seen a growth in the spread of activities to spread propaganda by a banned Islamic group, Hizb-ut-Tahrir, according to lawmaker Vladislav Kosyirev. The group is banned across Central Asia and advocates setting up an Islamic state across the region.

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