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Almaty (Kazakhstan) (AFP) – “Dozens” of protesters were killed by police on Wednesday night while trying to seize administrative buildings in Kazakhstan, the country’s police announced, which is facing riots in a state of chaos.
“Last night, extremist forces tried to storm the administrative buildings and the police station of the city of Almaty, as well as local administrations and police stations,” Interfax-Kazakhstan, TASS and RIA Novosti news agencies quoted police spokesman Saltanat Azerbek as saying.
“Dozens of attackers have been eliminated and their identities are being identified,” he added.
The spokesman added that an “anti-terrorist” operation was taking place in one of the districts of Almaty, the economic capital of this Central Asian country, which witnessed the most violent riots.
Pictures published on the media and social networks showed looted shops and some administrative buildings attacked and set fires in Almaty, while machine gunshots were heard.
Moscow and its allies in the Collective Security Treaty Organization announced Thursday that it will send a “collective peacekeeping force” to Kazakhstan at the request of the former Soviet republic, where riots began as a protest movement in the provinces over high gas prices.
According to the Kazakh Interior Ministry, local media reported that at least eight members of the security forces were killed and 317 others wounded.
© 2022 AFP
