Azernews.Az

The recent terrorist attacks in Kazakhstan's Aktobe were plotted by adherents to Salafism, a movement within Sunni Islam, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said at a meeting of the country's Security Council, TASS news agency reported.

"We already know that it was a terrorist raid by a group of followers of the non-traditional religious movement of Salafism," Nazarbayev said, calling attacks by terrorists "senseless and cruel".

"Ensuring in the republic freedom of religion, we at the same time intend to give a resolute rebuff to all who, hiding behind religious slogans, will shatter the situation in the country," he said.

Nazarbayev instructed the government to develop, within a period of two months, a package of legislative initiatives in the sphere of counteraction to terrorism and extremism, turnover, keeping and sale of weapons, in the sphere of regulation of migration and religious associations.

"Tranquility and stability in our country are the basic conditions for the development of our state and the achievement of all our goals," he said.

It was reported earlier that a group of religious radicals attacked two gun stores and a military garrison in Aktobe on June 5. Seven people, including three servicemen and four civilians, were killed in the attack.

Security forces killed 13 and detained nine attackers the same day, and six others were declared wanted. Kazakh special services announced the killing of five other extremists June 10.

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