Troops to fire without warning in Kazakhstan: Report

Kazakhstan’s authoritarian leader reportedly said that he has authorised security forces to “fire without warning” amid the violence on anti-government protests.

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President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said “20,000 bandits” had attacked the main city of Almaty, the epicentre of protests sparked by a hike in fuel price, according to a BBC report. He has blamed foreign-trained “terrorists” without submitting the evidence.

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According to the interior ministry, as many as 26 “armed criminals” and 18 security officers have been killed in the unrest.

Skirmishes in Almaty were still reported on Friday morning. Russia’s state news agency Tass reported that the building occupied by the Kazakh branch of the Mir broadcaster, funded by several former Soviet states, was on fire.

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However, the Almaty airport — stormed and seized earlier by the protesters — was back under the control of Kazakh law enforcement and CSTO peacekeepers, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Friday. The airport will remain shut until Friday evening, local TV station Khabar 24 reported, citing the airport’s spokespeople.

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In other parts of the country some things started to go back to normal. In the capital, Nur-Sultan, access to the internet has been partially restored, and train traffic has been resumed across Kazakhstan.