Women in Kyrgyzstan are banned from wearing niqabs as the country claims they could be “attackers in disguise”. The Muslim country’s government has backed plans to fine anyone wearing the garment under new safety plans.

Officials in Central Asia are attempting to tackle the growing influence of Islamism as the region has seen an increase in radicalisation in recent years. As part of this, Kyrgyzstan introduced a nationwide ban of the niqab - a garment that covers a woman's body except her eyes. Anyone found to be wearing the item will be fined 20,000 Som (£179), which is more than half of the average monthly salary.

On Tuesday, the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kyrgyzstan stated that “the niqab is alien to our society”.

“It is possible that our niqab-wearing sisters are attackers in disguise, which threatens public safety,” it added. “So it is important to openly show your face to be recognisable.”

Approximately 90% of the population identifies itself as Muslim, the vast majority of whom are Sunni - the country’s population currently stands at 7 million.

Muslim-majority countries in Central Asia have seen a rise in Islamism which governments have tried to combat. Many citizens in these countries joined jihadist groups in the Middle East during the rise of the Islamic State between 2013 and 2015.

The president of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Japarov, approved the ban as part of the law earlier this year. During an interview on Saturday, he explained that women in his country had traditionally "never worn a burqa”, highlighting that the ban was crucial for “ensuring public safety”.

The hijab, a headscarf that covers the hair, leaving the face visible, remains permissible under Kyrgyz law. When parliament speaker Nurlanbek Shakiev presented the bill last year, he said: “There will be no restrictions on the head scarf. Our mothers and sisters have always worn head scarves as part of our traditions and religion.”