Twelve police officers died in clashes with protesters in Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan, state TV said on Thursday (6), adding that one of the bodies was found with its head severed.
Earlier, Kazakhstan police said the forces “eliminated” dozens of protesters in Almaty as the unrest sparked by rising fuel prices turned into the biggest protests since independence in 1991.
On Wednesday (5), the Sputnik news agency had announced that eight police and National Guard soldiers had been killed and another 317 agents had been wounded during protests in various regions of Kazakhstan, citing data from the Ministry of Interior.
In addition to the killing of police officers, the Ministry of Interior said government buildings were attacked in the cities of Almaty, Shymkent and Taraz.
Protesters had taken control of Almaty airport and all flights to and from the city were temporarily cancelled, a source told Reuters.
Last Wednesday, the government of Kazakhstan submitted a request for resignation, which was accepted by the country’s president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Protests began in the oil-producing province of Mangistau on Sunday (2). A day earlier, the ceiling on the price of liquefied petroleum gas, a popular fuel for cars, had doubled, sparking the country’s revolt.
Reference: CNN Brasil
I’m James Harper, a highly experienced and accomplished news writer for World Stock Market. I have been writing in the Politics section of the website for over five years, providing readers with up-to-date and insightful information about current events in politics. My work is widely read and respected by many industry professionals as well as laymen.
