BREAKING: Kazakhstan's health ministry says 164 people were killed in protests that have rocked the country over the past week.
The Russian TV station Mir-24 said sporadic gunfire was heard in Almaty on Sunday but it was unclear whether they were warning shots by law enforcement. Tokayev on Friday said he had authorized police and the military to shoot to kill to restore order.
Protests over a sharp rise in prices of LPG fuel began in the country’s west on Jan. 2 and spread throughout the country, apparently reflecting discontent extending beyond the fuel prices. Tokayev contends the demonstrations were ignited by “terrorists” with foreign backing, although the protests have shown no obvious leaders or organization. The statement from his office on Sunday said the detentions included “a sizable number of foreign nationals,” but gave no details.The former head of Kazakhstan’s counterintelligence and anti-terror agency has been arrested on charges of attempted government overthrow.
At Tokayev’s request, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a Russia-led military alliance of six former Soviet states, authorized sending about 2,500 mostly Russian troops to Kazakhstan as peacekeepers.