Official sources so far estimate the deaths at about 30 as a result of the clashes between the forces of order and rioters since January 2nd. According to President Tokayev, around 20 thousand extremists were involved in the riots in Almaty and other cities.

Fighting is still ongoing in Saturday in the city of Almaty, the largest in the country, where the anti-terrorist operation is still underway, as per the Sputnik news agency. The Ministry of the Interior of Kazakhstan reported that 4,404 people linked to the riots have been detained in the country so far.

Reports indicate that the insurgents are hiding in gardens and parks in the city. A source from the security forces said that “dispersed groups of criminals may continue to carry out attacks”, even resorting to wearing police uniforms.

For its part, the National Security Committee announced in a statement the arrest of its former president, Karim Massimov, 56, who was removed from office as president of the National Security Committee by presidential decree on January 5th on suspicion of high treason.

Yermukhamet Yertysbayev, former advisor to Nursultan Nazarbayev, the founding president of Kazakhstan, affirmed in statements to the Habar-24 TV channel that “these protests would have been impossible without the support of the traitors in the highest authorities and especially in the law enforcement,” and stated that the National Security Committee withheld information on extremist training camps in the mountains and claimed that security units were ordered to withdraw from the region 40 minutes before the attack on Almaty Airport.

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