Suspected Islamic Extremists Arrested In Russia's Bashkortostan

Security officials in Russia's Bashkortostan region say they have broken up the cell of a banned Islamic group.

Federal Security Service officials in Bashkortostan said in a statement on February 5 that 31 locals had been detained and interrogated for suspected membership in the Hizb ut-Tahrir organization.

Police later released 11 of those detained.

The suspects are all residents of the Bashkir capital, Ufa, and the Ufa and Chishme districts.

Officials said investigators also found a large number of books, CDs, and leaflets with extremist content.

Hizb ut-Tahrir is a London-based Sunni political organization that seeks to unite all Muslim countries into an Islamic caliphate.

Hizb ut-Tahrir says it is peaceful, but Russia's Supreme Court banned it in 2003, branding it a terrorist organization.

Based on reporting by Interfax and RIA