ALMATY (Reuters) – Kazakhstan’s authorities said on Sunday that the situation is already stabilizing after the period of greatest political unrest in 30 years of independence, and that troops from the Russian-led military alliance are protecting the country’s strategic installations .
Security officials have told President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev that they are following “cleanup” operations in the country, a former Soviet republic in Central Asia that borders Russia and China and has oil production as its flagship.
Thousands were arrested and public buildings were torched during mass anti-government protests last week. Tokayev issued shoot-to-kill orders to end riots, caused by bandits and terrorists, he said.
State TV channel Khabar 24 said 164 people were killed, news agencies TASS and Sputnik reported. But the Ministry of Health did not confirm the information, claiming to be a matter for the police. Police forces have already told Reuters that the ministry should be consulted.
At Tokayev’s invitation, the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) has sent troops to restore order, an intervention that comes amid heightened tensions in US-Russia relations on the eve of negotiations between these two countries regarding the crisis in Ukraine.
“A number of strategic facilities are now under protection by the peacekeeping contingent of CSTO member states,” the presidential office said, detailing the security briefing issued by Tokayev.
(Por Olzhas Auzeyov, Tamara Vaal, Mariya Gordeeva Robin Paxton)
Reference: CNN Brasil
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