Video of a military operation in the center of Almaty was published. The footage, taken by TASS correspondent Valery Sharifulin, shows military equipment and soldiers firing from machine guns.
Earlier it was reported that the security forces surrounded the Republic square along its perimeter. The military ringed round 200 armed instigators of the riots. The cordon was removed later.
Mass protests in Kazakhstan began in the first days of January 2022. Residents of Zhanaozen and Aktau in Mangistau region opposed the sharp rise in prices for liquefied gas. Protests began in other cities of the republic. On January 4-5, clashes with security forces occurred in Almaty, the police used tear gas and stun grenades. The authorities turned off the Internet, and some TV channels temporarily stopped broadcasting.
The government resigned. The Chairman of the Security Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan was replaced, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev became a new chairman instead of Nursultan Nazarbayev.
The president declared a state of emergency in the country on January 5. On the night of January 6, the head of Kazakhstan held a meeting of the Security Council, at which he called the situation in the republic «undermining the integrity of the state». He said that he asked the CSTO for help «in overcoming the terrorist threat.» The CSTO Collective Security Council decided to send peacekeeping troops to Kazakhstan.
