Kazakhstan's National Security Committee (KNB) says a group of radical Islamists that was arrested in recent weeks in the southern region of Almaty planned to hijack a plane and conduct "a 9/11-like" attack.
The KNB said on September 5 that another group apprehended in the central Qaraghandy region in June planned terrorist attacks against local infrastructure and a Russian military base near the lake of Balkhash.
According to the KNB, three more groups arrested on August 12-30 in the regions of Western Kazakhstan and Aqtobe planned a series of terrorist attacks against police and civilians.
In general, the KNB says, eight radical Islamist groups have been apprehended in the country since January.
In June, Kazakh authorities said a group of 25 alleged Islamic militants carried out a series of attacks that killed five civilians and three members of Kazakhstan's security forces in the northwestern city of Aqtobe.
Security forces who confronted the group killed 18 gunmen and arrested seven others.
