Kyrgyz security services set free 61 hostages

BISHKEK, June 24 (Itar-Tass) - During massive unrest, which has been
going on in the southern part of Kyrgyzstan since June 10, officers of the
Kyrgyz security services set free 61 hostages. The kidnapped people
included both ethnic Kyrgyz's and ethnic Uzbeks, a representative of the
press centre of the National Security Service of Kyrgyzstan told Itar-Tass
on Thursday.
"The National Security Service instituted criminal proceedings on
eight cases, connected with massive unrest in the southern part of the
republic. A total of 11 combat grenades, 53 home-made explosive devices,
58 assault rifles, a large-calibre tank machine-gun, a grenade launcher
with 13 grenades for it, as well as 3,000 cartridges were found and
confiscated during the investigation. 24 people were detained on suspicion
of taking part in massive unrest, and 19 of them were taken into custody.
"Aside from it, officers of the security services prevented ten looting
attempts," the representative of the National Security Service continued.
Massive unrest began on the night of June 10 in Osh, administrative
centre in the southern part of Kyrgyzstan. On the next day it spread to
the neighbouring Jalalabad Region. As a result of the conflict, some 250
people died, and 2,200 asked for medical aid. A state of emergency and a
curfew were imposed on the area.
Some 100,000 Kyrgyz nationals from among ethnic Uzbeks found refuge in
the neighbouring Uzbekistan. According to official reports, about half of
them have already returned home. According to Keneshbek Dushebayev, head
of the National Security Service, the unrest was organized by extremists
and international terrorists from the "Islamic movement of Uzbekistan" and
the "Union of Islamic Jihad," who were given financial support by
relatives of ex-President Kurmanbek Bakiyev allocating 30 million dollars
for that purpose.
-0-rom/gor