BISHKEK -- Kyrgyzstan's interior agencies seized 18,641 pieces of extremist literature during the first nine months of this year, Raim Salimov, the deputy head of the Interior Ministry's (MVD) 10th Main Directorate of Kyrgyzstan, which counters religious extremism and terrorism, reported October 21.
According to Salimov, the directorate conducted 8,000 lectures and seminars across the country during this period to explain the canons of traditional Islam.
"We hold these events for youth, high schoolers, the public, and police officers in rural areas ... we speak about the true essence of religious extremism and terrorism," he said.
Salimov said 600 Kyrgyzstani citizens have left the country to fight in Syria as of October.
"We're witnessing a decrease in the number of people leaving for combat zones. That was made possible thanks to the active work of the MVD 10th Main Directorate's departments," he added.
