“I have no doubts that it was a terrorist attack,” said the head of State in a video conference with the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, according to a statement from the press service of the Kazakh presidency.

He warned that Kazakhstan was the victim of a well-organized and well-prepared act of aggression with the participation of foreign combatants.

“The idea was to form a zone of controlled chaos on our territory with the subsequent seizure of power. That is why, an anti-terrorist operation was launched in Kazakhstan,” Tokayev explained.

During the conversation, the president described the tragic events as an unprecedented act of aggression against the State, which caused many victims among law enforcers and civilians.

He reported that economic damages caused by the riots are estimated at 2-3 billion dollars, with damages in some 1,300 commercial facilities, more than 100 shopping centers and banks, in addition to some 500 police cars that were set on fire.

jg/rgh/mml