Kazakhstan: Soldiers, protesters clash in Almaty Square – Shots fired

LAST UPDATE: 08:55

Armored personnel carriers and dozens of pedestrians entered the main square of Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city and financial capital, this morning, where hundreds of people have gathered to protest against the government for a third day, according to Reuters. are there.

Shots were fired as soldiers approached the crowd, according to Reuters eyewitnesses.

Police in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city and financial capital, have said dozens of riots have been “eliminated”, Russia’s Interfax news agency reported.

At the same time, the Russian news agency TASS reported that heavy exchanges of fire broke out between the army and armed people in the square in front of the Almaty town hall.

“Soldiers arrived in the square, launched a clearing operation against the rioters. A fierce exchange of gunfire is underway,” according to TASS.

The Sputnik news agency reported at the same time, citing a statement from Almaty police, that dozens of people had been killed in the city as they tried to storm police headquarters overnight.

“An attempt was made to break into the Almaty police headquarters overnight and dozens of assailants were eliminated,” police said.

According to Reuters, Kazakhstan state television broadcast today that the country’s National Bank has decided to suspend the operation of all financial institutions. Also the internet is mostly out of order in the country.

Protests in Kazakhstan, which erupted initially over rising fuel prices, killed eight police officers and members of the National Guard the day before yesterday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, prompting the president to call for help from a security alliance under Russia. which offered to send peacekeepers.

In addition, the president of Kazakhstan announced that he had ordered the army to intervene to restore order and end the riots that began on the occasion of the increase in the retail price of energy but seem to have turned into a revolt very quickly.

“Terrorist gangs” have been involved in a paratrooper battle in Almaty, the head of state has said, adding that Kazakhstan is not just facing a “threat” but a “state’s” threat of overthrow.

Earlier, OSCE Chairman-in-Office Armenian Prime Minister Nicole Pasinian confirmed that a “peacekeeping mission” would be deployed in Kazakhstan at Almaty’s request.

Almaty Deputy Mayor Ersan Babakumarov announced that the occupation of the city’s airport had ended. Several airlines were forced to cancel flights to and from the city after it was occupied by crowds on Wednesday.

Several channels on the Telegram platform have posted videos immortalizing army operations against protesters, some in Almaty. The videos show fire and screams.

Prior to President Tokayev’s announcements, the Interior Ministry confirmed the deaths of eight police officers and members of the National Guard and the injuries of 317. No casualties were reported among the protesters; thousands were reported injured.

Protests over the rise in gas prices over the weekend have turned into real battles over the past two days. The government submitted its resignation to the president, who announced that he accepted it. Rumors that Mr. Tokayev himself was also going to resign or leave the country were categorically refuted by him.

The violence focuses on Kazakhstan’s economic metropolis, Almaty. Videos from the episodes depict law enforcement using stun grenades to disperse protesters, with cars burning in the background.

The president announced political reforms shortly yesterday, without going into further details.

In addition, he announced that he is taking over the role of head of the Security Council of Kazakhstan, an office held until yesterday by former President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who retained part of power despite ceasing to be head of state in 2019.

“My constitutional duty is to stand with the people. Together we will overcome this black page in the history of Kazakhstan,” said Kasim-Yomart Tokayev.

The resignation of the government did nothing but de-escalate the protests. Videos broadcast yesterday from Almaty depicted a government building in the center in flames, while the country’s media broadcast information about the attack on a house used by the head of state in the big city and its arson.

The interruption of internet access, which is believed to have been ordered by the authorities to make communication between the organizers of the demonstrations difficult, makes communications difficult. The whole country was declared a state of emergency yesterday.

The U.S. presidency yesterday called on the Kazakh authorities to show “restraint” and expressed hope that the protests would be “peaceful”, with its spokeswoman Jen Psaki categorically denying “false accusations by Russia” about US incitement to protest. the country. “This is completely false,” he said, referring to Russia’s “misinformation strategy.” For his part, US diplomat Ned Price said Washington “condemns the violence and the destruction of property and calls on both the authorities and the protesters to show restraint.”

The European Union has called for calm.

Russia has called for a peaceful solution to the crisis “within the framework of the Constitution and the laws and through dialogue and not through riots in the streets.”

The United Nations is “watching the situation with concern,” said Stephen Duzarric, a spokesman for the Secretary-General. .

CSTO sends peacekeeping force

A peacekeeping force from an alliance of former Soviet republics, led by Russia, is to be deployed in Kazakhstan to help restore stability to the country following massive protests, said Armenian Prime Minister Nicole Pasinian.

At the request of the President of Kazakhstan Tokayev and in the face of the threat to national security and sovereignty of the Republic of Kazakhstan caused, inter alia, by external intervention, the Organization of the Collective Security Treaty (CSTO), in accordance with Article 4 of “Collective Security Treaty Organization has decided to deploy its peacekeeping force in Kazakhstan,” Pasinian wrote in a Facebook post.

The force is expected to deploy in Kazakhstan for a limited time in order to stabilize the situation in the country, according to the Russian news agency Sputnik.

On Wednesday, Kazakhstan’s President Qasim-Zomart Tokayev called on Russia and its allies to help deal with the “terrorist threat” in his country, as he described it.

This was the second televised speech of the president in a few hours, as his country is facing the worst riots it has experienced in a decade, due to the increase in the price of LPG.

SOURCE: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ