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Kazakhstan: Apparently many dead in protests
In the Kazakh metropolis of Almaty, the protests continue for the third day in a row. Police and protesters clashed once more, as correspondents for the Archyde.com news agency reported on Thursday. Shots might be heard. According to the Interfax news agency, the police said several troublemakers had been “eliminated”. Extremist forces “tried to storm administration buildings as well as the headquarters and several police stations in Almaty, said a police spokesman. In front of the town hall in Almaty there was a “violent exchange of fire” between dozen armed people and the military, the Russian state agency Tass reported, citing its local correspondent. 300 soldiers had advanced in armored personnel carriers. They would have surrounded the square. According to the state television in Kazakhstan, at least 12 police officers were killed in the protests. i So far, the authorities have officially confirmed eight killed police officers and soldiers. The exact location was unclear and the websites of the Kazakh media might not be reached from abroad either. In the face of the unrest, Kazakh President Tokayev has asked a Russia-led security alliance in the region for help. Several Russian state agencies reported on Thursday that paratroopers had been dispatched as part of a peacekeeping force. The trigger for the biggest wave of protests in years was resentment at the significantly higher fuel prices at petrol stations in the oil and gas-rich ex-Soviet republic. On Wednesday demonstrators temporarily occupied the airport in Almaty. In other regions of the Central Asian country, too, people vented their displeasure. In response to the protests, some of which were violent, President Tokayev dismissed the government.
In the face of the unrest, Kazakh President Tokayev has asked a Russia-led security alliance in the region for help.
