Violence intensifies in Kazakhstan, 48 people killed, Russia sent army [TKB World]

Dozens of demonstrators were killed and 12 policemen were killed by security forces during extraordinarily violent demonstrations in Kazakhstan. A total of 48 people have died so far.

A police officer was beheaded in growing unrest in the Central Asian nation as a growing challenge to authoritarian rule. Protesters again took to the streets a day after they stormed the presidential residence and the office of the mayor in the country’s largest city, Almaty, despite a strong backlash from the authorities.

2,000 people arrested so far

News service reported that a group of about 200 demonstrators were fired upon by police in the city. The Home Ministry said that 2,000 people have been arrested in the case so far. Police spokesman Sultanat Azirbek told state news channel Khabar-24 that in Wednesday’s brawl, “dozens of attackers were gunned down. According to city officials, 12 police officers were killed and 353 injured in the unrest.”

Thousands of people took to the streets

Thousands have taken to the streets in the worst protests in the country since independence from the Soviet Union three decades ago. Though the protests started after the nearly doubling of prices for vehicle fuels, the situation is now showing widespread discontent in the country.