LATEST: Russian-led security alliance sends forces to Kazakhstan to quell deadly violence amid reports that dozens of protesters and police have been killed in unrest.
to quell deadly violence amid reports that dozens of protesters and police have been killed in the unrest sweeping the country.
Thirteen members of the security forces died in clashes with protesters in the city, Reuters reported. citing Kazakh state TV. The Central Asian nation’s reputation for stability under Nazarbayev helped attract hundreds of billions of dollars in foreign investment in its oil and metals industries. He said foreign-trained “terrorist” gangs were seizing buildings, infrastructure and weapons, and had taken five aircraft, including foreign ones, at Almaty airport.
Russian news agencies quoted Dmitry Rogozin, head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, as saying security had been strengthened around key installations at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, which Russia uses for space launches. Early on Wednesday, Reuters journalists had seen thousands of protesters pressing toward the Almaty city center, while in the city of Aqtobe, protesters gathered shouting: “Old man, go away!” A video online showed police using water cannon and stun grenades near the mayor’s office.