Kyrgyzstan’s National Security Service (SNB) has called upon Islamic militants in the southern Osh Region to lay down their weapons by September 1. Kyrgyz media today quote a SNB statement as saying those who would refuse to disarm would be “harshly punished.” The statement says the call is primarily addressed to members of the banned Hizb ut-Tahrir and Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan — also known as the Islamic Movement of Turkestan — radical Islamic groupings. Full Story