Suspects in the murder of policemen identified as members of radical Islam sect, media

Almaty. July 7. Interfax-Kazakhstan - The suspects, who stormed the police station in a firearms attack, were identified as members of the local Salafi sect, propagating radical Islam, said the Vremya newspaper.


As previously reported, in the early morning of July 1 unknown gunmen fired at a police post in the village of Shubarshy located in the Temir district of the Aktobe region. Two policemen were killed and two went missing as a result of the attack. On July 2 a member of a special forces unit was killed and three more were wounded in an attempt to arrest the suspects.


According to the Vremya, the policeman that were killed in the attack, participated in an arrest of 22-year old Talgat Shakanov, a member of the local Salafi community, who was charged with illegal possession of arms and extremist brochures.


The newspaper noted that the discovery led to a religious sect of young people advocating puritanical approach to Islamic faith and violent jihad against civilians, who were openly operating in the Shubarshi village.


"Such ideological background of the suspects, whom the local villagers called "beards," could easily explain a cold blooded murder of the policemen," said the newspaper.


After their member arrest, the sect declared a war against police and "shoot down the policemen in front of the entire villages." "They returned and dragged away the sobbing women and shot the policemen in the heads to make sure they are dead," reported the newspaper.


As reported, the government announced a reward of $100,000 for information leading to the capture of the criminals. Six people were put on the wanted list in connection with the attack.


www.interfax.kz/
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