Kazakhstan special forces kill four terror suspects

ALMATY, Kazakhstan — Authorities in Kazakhstan say special forces have killed four suspected terrorists accused of a bombing attack on a police station in the western oil city of Atyrau last week.

The General Prosecutor's Office says the group refused to surrender when surrounded in a house Friday morning and opened fire on special forces officers.

It says weapons, ammunition, firebombs and components for explosive devices were found at the house.

Kazakhstan, a sprawling mainly Muslim former Soviet nation west of China, saw an unprecedented surge last year in terrorist activity apparently linked to Islamist extremism. A number of attacks have been reported over the summer after a largely quiet first half of the year.