Kazakhstan detains 16 religious extremists in cell raids

Kazakhstan's National Security Committee(NSC) said Wednesday it carried out special operations to neutralize the cells of the religious extremist organization Takfir wal-Hijra and detained 16 people.

The special operations were launched simultaneously in the Almaty, Aktobe and Atyrau regions and Almaty city. The detainees were accused of participating in the banned organization and inciting religious discord.

"A search of their places of residence and other operational investigative and procedural actions are underway," the NSC said.

Adherents of Takfir wal-Hijra support the terrorist activities in Iraq and Syria, and reject secular forms of rule and constitutional laws.

Set up in Egypt in the 1960s, Takfir wal-Hijra was blacklisted as an extremist organization in Kazakhstan in 2014. It is also classified as a terrorist organization in the United States, Russia, China, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and many other countries. 

source: Xinhua