Gunmen who attacked a national guard base in Kazakhstan last week listened to a broadcast from Syria beforehand that urged them to wage holy war, the country's interior minister said on Tuesday. 


Five civilians and three servicemen died in the June 5 attack in the city of Aktobe, the deadliest in Kazakhstan since it became independent in 1991. Security forces killed 18 gunmen, some in a subsequent manhunt. 


Kalmukhanbet Kasymov said the suspects had some time earlier listened to an audio address from "a so-called imam", probably from Syria, who called for "jihad", or a war against unbelievers. 


The minister provided no further details and did not specify if he was referring to territory held by Islamic State

Source: NNA