Kazakhstan president authorises security forces to 'fire without warning' - FRANCE24

 

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Friday he had ordered security forces to open fire without warning in order to quell Kazakhstan's worst unrest in decades, thanking Russia and its allies for their assistance in restoring order.

Tokayev said in a televised address that up to 20,000 "bandits" had attacked the financial capital Almaty and were destroying state property. He said peacekeeping forces sent from Russia and neighbouring states had arrived on Kazakhstan's request and were in the country on a temporary basis to ensure security.

The embattled president also thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as the leaders of China, Uzbekistan and Turkey for their assistance in quelling the uprising.

Earlier, Tokayev said in a statement that constitutional order had been "largely restored" across the country, adding that security operations would continue "until the total destruction of the militants".