Kazakhstan President Reveals Six Waves Of Trained And Organized Terrorist Attacks In Almaty

JAKARTA - There have been six waves of terrorist attacks in Almaty, the total number of terrorists is around 20,000, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Friday evening.

"Gangsters and terrorists are highly trained, organized, and led by a special center. Some of them speak non-Kazakh languages. There have been at least six waves of terrorist attacks in Almaty, totaling 20,000", he wrote on his Twitter account, citing TASS on January 8.

"The situation analysis shows Kazakhstan is facing well-prepared, coordinated acts of armed aggression by perpetrators and terrorist groups trained abroad", he stressed.

According to President Tokayev, he ordered the launch of a counter-terrorist operation "to eliminate threats to national security and to protect the lives and property of Kazakh citizens."

"Currently, counter-terrorist operations continue in our country. Large-scale and well-coordinated work is being carried out by the police. National Guard and armed forces to restore law and order in accordance with the Constitution", he said.

Furthermore, Kazakhstan will continue to ensure the security of diplomatic missions and foreign companies amid the unrest in the country, said President Tokayev.

"Kazakhstan will continue to ensure the security and protection of foreign diplomatic missions as well as personnel and property of foreign companies and investors. The open-door policy for foreign direct investment will remain Kazakhstan's core strategy", he wrote.

In addition, he ensured that Peacekeepers from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a post-Soviet security bloc, would stay in Kazakhstan for a short time, until the situation in the country normalized.

"A peacekeeping force consisting of multinational forces of CSTO member countries is deployed and will remain for a short time until the situation stabilizes in Kazakhstan", he wrote.

Separately, Kazakh Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Aibek Smadiyarov, told TASS on Friday that there was no damage to foreign embassies during the unrest.

To note, protests over rising fuel prices erupted in several cities of Kazakhstan on January 2, developing into mass riots with attacks on government buildings in many cities a few days later.

Thousands of people were injured and fatalities were also reported. Kazakh President, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, sought help from the Collective Security Treaty Organization, or CSTO, a post-Soviet security bloc. CSTO peacekeepers have been deployed to Kazakhstan.

To note, the Kazakh authorities said law and order had been restored in all areas of the country by the morning of January 7. However, the situation in Almaty is still very tense.