A Russian-led force has arrived in Kazakhstan at the request of the country's authoritarian president, amid a violent crackdown on anti-government protests.
Russian servicemen boarding a military aircraft on their way to Kazakhstan, at an airfield outside Moscow, Russia, on 06 January, 2022. Photo: AFP
Machine gun fire reverberated through the largest city Almaty, as officials reported mounting deaths.
The main square saw government buildings ablaze and local troops suppressing hundreds of demonstrators.
The president blamed foreign-trained "terrorists", without giving evidence.
In an address on state TV on Wednesday, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev appealed to the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) for support in quelling the protests. The bloc includes Russia, Kazakhstan and ex-Soviet nations Belarus, Tajikistan and Armenia.
The overseas force being sent to Kazakhstan reportedly numbers about 2500 soldiers. The CSTO says the troops are a peacekeeping force and will protect state and military installations. They will stay in the country for several days or weeks, the Russian RIA news agency reports.
The US State Department has said it is closely monitoring the deployment of Russian troops. "The United States and, frankly, the world will be watching for any violation of human rights," a spokesman said.
"We will also be watching for any actions that may lay the predicate for the seizure of Kazakh institutions."
The UN, US, UK, and France have called on all sides to refrain from violence.
Some 18 members of the security forces have died in Almaty, officials said, and police said they had killed dozens of people described as "rioters" overnight.
58-year-old construction worker Saule who took part in the protests, told AFP news agency that she saw security forces open fire on demonstrators.
"We saw the deaths," she said. "Straight away about 10 were killed."
Kazakhstan's interior ministry says 2298 protesters have also been detained.
The unrest began on Sunday when the cost of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) - which many people in Kazakhstan use to fuel their cars - doubled, drawing protesters onto the streets.
The government said on Thursday that fuel price caps will be restored for six months. But the announcement has failed to end the protests, which have broadened to include other political grievances.
Kazakhstan is often described as authoritarian, and most elections are won by the ruling party with nearly 100 percent of the vote. There is no effective political opposition.
- BBC