Deadly blast in Kyrgyzstan

The Kyrgyz state security authority GKNB said on Tuesday that it was carrying out an investigation after a car blew up near the Chinese embassy in the capital, Bishkek, killing at least one person and wounding several others.

The Russian news agency Interfax cited a representative of the emergency minister as saying that the exact death toll was being verified.

According to local medics, the driver of the car was killed while two Kyrgyz embassy staff and a woman were slightly wounded in the incident, which occurred around 10 am local time (0400 UTC).

Interfax quoted Deputy Prime Minister Zhenish Razakov as saying it was a suicide attack and that the car had rammed the gate of the embassy before exploding.

Condemnation from Beijing

The Chinese Foreign Ministry called the incident a "serious terrorist attack," stating that China would "resolutely strike against all forms of terrorism."

Authorities in Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet republic with a mostly Muslim population of 6 million people, have detained a number of suspected Islamist militants accused of having links to the extremist group "Islamic State" (IS). The jihadists are known to recruit from Central Asia.

The region has also seen activity by an anti-Chinese group comprised of ethnic Uighurs. In 2014, alleged members of the group illegally crossed into Kyrgyzstan from neighboring China and were intercepted by Kyrgzyz border guards. Eleven Uighurs were killed.

The attack comes a day before Kyrgyzstan celebrates the 25th anniversary of its independence from the Soviet Union.

tj/jm (Reuters, AFP)