Number of Kyrgyz women joining terrorists growing — interior ministry

There is a tendency in Kyrgyzstan to replenish the ranks of terrorist and extremist groups with women, the country's Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.

"The number of women joining terrorist or extremist organizations is growing annually, the ministry's statement said. "Along with men, they are actively promoting radical ideas and set up women's groups." While ten years ago women accounted for 1,1% of extremist crimes, this year this figure rose to 25%. "To date, women in the country make up about 7.4% of the total number of identified active members of extremist organizations," the document said. "Women from different regions of the country continue to leave for Syria and Iraq."

The ministry said that nearly every fourth person travelling to these countries to take part in hostilities on the side of armed groups was a woman. According to official statistics, a total of 500 citizens of Kyrgyzstan have left for Syria and Iraq.

"Since the beginning of this year, law enforcement officers have identified 308 instances of criminal manifestations of extremism," the statement said. All materials collected by the Interior Ministry are then handed over to Kyrgyzstan's State Committee for National Security.

Source: tass.ru