Internet service in the Central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan has been interrupted by a series of deliberate cyber attacks.

According to the Information Warfare Monitor, three of the country’s four Internet service providers have suffered major denial-of-service attacks since last week. Many websites have been disrupted and email service has been impaired.

The Wall Street Journal reports that a Russian ‘cyber-militia’ is behind the attack. Its motivation may be to punish Kyrgyzstan for hosting a US military base, or to scupper the former Soviet country’s fledgling opposition movement.

Similar incidents occurred in Georgia in the lead-up to that country’s conflict with Russia.