02:58Mandatory credit: Office of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan's President Zhomart Tokayev has announced that he has ordered law enforcement and military forces to shoot to kill protesters without warning if necessary, speaking in Nur-Sultan on Friday.
"Terrorists continue to damage state and private property and use weapons against citizens. I gave the order to law enforcement and the army to open fire with lethal force without warning", he said in his address to the nation.
Tokayev called the foreign colleagues' requests to conduct "negotiations for a peaceful solution of problems" a "nonsense". He also informed that Kazakh law enforcement are ready to take decisive measures to resolve the situation.
"We had to deal with armed and trained bandits, both local and foreign. It is with bandits and terrorists. Therefore, they need to be destroyed. And this will be done shortly", the head of the state said.
"The counter-terrorist operation continues. The militants didn’t lay down their arms, but continued to commit crimes and prepare for it. The fight against them must be completed. Whoever doesn’t surrender will be destroyed", he added.
Tokayev also said that he decided to turn off the internet "in certain regions of the country for certain time periods."
Unrest has gripped the central Asian republic after unauthorised rallies began in the Mangistau region of Kazakhstan on Sunday after prices of liquefied gas rose from 60 to 120 tenge (€0.12 to €0.24; $0.14 to $0.28) per litre from January 1. The price hike came after the government lifted price controls on liquefied petroleum gas, citing a need to liberalise the market.
According to the republic’s Ministry of Health, more than 1,000 people have been injured during the ongoing protests and almost 400 hospitalised.
On Thursday, the Collective Security Council (CSTO) sent peacekeeping forces to Kazakhstan to protect state and military facilities and assist law enforcement.
Kazakhstan: Army ordered to kill protesters without warning - pres Tokayev
Kazakhstan's President Zhomart Tokayev has announced that he has ordered law enforcement and military forces to shoot to kill protesters without warning if necessary, speaking in Nur-Sultan on Friday.
"Terrorists continue to damage state and private property and use weapons against citizens. I gave the order to law enforcement and the army to open fire with lethal force without warning", he said in his address to the nation.
Tokayev called the foreign colleagues' requests to conduct "negotiations for a peaceful solution of problems" a "nonsense". He also informed that Kazakh law enforcement are ready to take decisive measures to resolve the situation.
"We had to deal with armed and trained bandits, both local and foreign. It is with bandits and terrorists. Therefore, they need to be destroyed. And this will be done shortly", the head of the state said.
"The counter-terrorist operation continues. The militants didn’t lay down their arms, but continued to commit crimes and prepare for it. The fight against them must be completed. Whoever doesn’t surrender will be destroyed", he added.
Tokayev also said that he decided to turn off the internet "in certain regions of the country for certain time periods."
Unrest has gripped the central Asian republic after unauthorised rallies began in the Mangistau region of Kazakhstan on Sunday after prices of liquefied gas rose from 60 to 120 tenge (€0.12 to €0.24; $0.14 to $0.28) per litre from January 1. The price hike came after the government lifted price controls on liquefied petroleum gas, citing a need to liberalise the market.
According to the republic’s Ministry of Health, more than 1,000 people have been injured during the ongoing protests and almost 400 hospitalised.
On Thursday, the Collective Security Council (CSTO) sent peacekeeping forces to Kazakhstan to protect state and military facilities and assist law enforcement.
Mandatory credit: Office of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan's President Zhomart Tokayev has announced that he has ordered law enforcement and military forces to shoot to kill protesters without warning if necessary, speaking in Nur-Sultan on Friday.
"Terrorists continue to damage state and private property and use weapons against citizens. I gave the order to law enforcement and the army to open fire with lethal force without warning", he said in his address to the nation.
Tokayev called the foreign colleagues' requests to conduct "negotiations for a peaceful solution of problems" a "nonsense". He also informed that Kazakh law enforcement are ready to take decisive measures to resolve the situation.
"We had to deal with armed and trained bandits, both local and foreign. It is with bandits and terrorists. Therefore, they need to be destroyed. And this will be done shortly", the head of the state said.
"The counter-terrorist operation continues. The militants didn’t lay down their arms, but continued to commit crimes and prepare for it. The fight against them must be completed. Whoever doesn’t surrender will be destroyed", he added.
Tokayev also said that he decided to turn off the internet "in certain regions of the country for certain time periods."
Unrest has gripped the central Asian republic after unauthorised rallies began in the Mangistau region of Kazakhstan on Sunday after prices of liquefied gas rose from 60 to 120 tenge (€0.12 to €0.24; $0.14 to $0.28) per litre from January 1. The price hike came after the government lifted price controls on liquefied petroleum gas, citing a need to liberalise the market.
According to the republic’s Ministry of Health, more than 1,000 people have been injured during the ongoing protests and almost 400 hospitalised.
On Thursday, the Collective Security Council (CSTO) sent peacekeeping forces to Kazakhstan to protect state and military facilities and assist law enforcement.