Kazakhstan Asks Russia for Help after Dozens Killed in Unrest

Dozens of protesters were killed in Kazakhstan in attacks on government buildings and at least a dozen officers died, including one who was found beheaded, authorities said Thursday.

There were attempts to storm buildings in Almaty overnight and “dozens of attackers were liquidated,” police spokeswoman Saltanat Azirbek said Thursday. She spoke on state news channel Khabar-24. The reported attempts to storm the buildings came after widespread unrest in the city on Wednesday, including seizure of the mayor’s building, which was set on fire.

Later Thursday, state news channel Khabar-24 cited the city commandant’s office as saying that another 353 law enforcement officers were injured in addition to the 12 killed.

Kazakhstan is experiencing the worst street protests the country has seen since gaining independence three decades ago. Government buildings have been set ablaze.

A Russia-led military alliance, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, said early Thursday that it would send peacekeeper troops to Kazakhstan at the request of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Kazakhstan has been rocked by intensifying protests that began on Sunday over a sharp rise in prices for liquefied petroleum gas fuel. The protests began in the country’s west but spread to Almaty and the capital Nur-Sultan.