KHUJAND, February 3, 2011, Asia-Plus -- The State Committee for National Security (SCNS)’s office for Sughd province says it has detained several persons suspected in January attempted terrorist attacks in the cities of Khujand and Istaravshan.

A statement released by SCNS’s office in Sughd on February 3 says several persons have been detained on suspicion of having been involved in a series of attempted terrorist attacks in the province.  Their names are not disclosed in the interest of investigation.

According to the statement, two suspect cars were found abandoned outside the buildings of the Sughd police directorate and the SCNS’s office for Sughd in Khujand on January 21, at around 9:00 pm.  Both cars were packed with explosives.

A bomb in Opel left outside the police directorate building was defused.  54 kilograms of quarry powder, 200-gram TNT stick, detonator, clockwork and mobile phone Nokia were in the car.

Deminers could not open Volkswagen Passat left outside the SCNS’s office and it was decided to sink the car in the Syrdarya River.  When the car was taken out of the river on January 23, 69 kilograms of quarry powder, 200-gram TNT stick, detonator, clockwork and mobile phone Nokia were found in it.

In the morning of January 22, Opel-Vectra packed with explosive was found abandoned outside buildings of police department and prosecutor’s office in the city of Istaravshan.  The car bomb was defused.  48 kilograms of quarry powder, 200-gram TNT stick, clockwork and mobile phone were found in the car.

The SCNS’s office for Sughd has instituted criminal proceedings and the preliminary investigation is carried out by the Sughd prosecutor’s office, the statement said.