DUSHANBE, March 26, 201, Asia-Plus – Some media sources report that Kyrgyz authorities have prevented three Tajik nationals, who had underage children with them, from joining the Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria.

Uzbek news website 12 news.uz on March 25 cited the National Security Committee of Kyrgyzstan (NSC) as saying that three Tajik nationals who had children with them were stopped at the Osh airport on March 22.  They were reportedly planned to travel from Osh to Istanbul, Turkey and then to Syria.

Interfax-Azerbaijan reports that Kyrgyz security officials detained three Tajik nationals at the Osh airport on March 22, who had children with them and planned to travel from Osh to Istanbul and from there to Syria to fight alongside Islamist militants against the government forces.    

Kyrgyz NSC reportedly said the detained Tajik nationals said “an unidentified man being in the Iraqi-Syrian zone invited them to join the ranks of Islamic State (IS) via the Internet.” 

The detainees were reportedly returned to Tajikistan after questioning.

According to data of the Kyrgyz law enforcement authorities, hundreds of people, primarily natives of the south of Kyrgyzstan, traveled to the Iraqi-Syrian zone in 2012-2014 to fight alongside Islamic State and other militants.