November 24, 1999

Islamic rebels in Uzbekistan have killed 23 people in November, nine of them government officials and the rest rebels. The rebels are part of the group that invaded Kyrghizstan in August and took hostages. But this rebel group was finally paid off, left Kyrghizstan and split up. One faction ended up in Uzbekistan. It is feared that the rebels will flee to Tajikistan, where Islamic extremists have bases, and support from the Taliban across the border in Afghanistan.