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Nearly 100 injured in clashes between Kyrgyz ex-president’s supporters, law enforcers

One of the law enforcers died of wounds

BISHKEK, August 8. /TASS/. The number of people injured in clashes between law enforcers and supporters of Kyrgyzstan’s former President Almazbek Atambayev has climbed to 98, the country’s Ministry of Health informed TASS on Thursday.

"A total of 98 people sought medical attention," the ministry’s spokesperson said. One of them, a member of Alpha Special Forces, died of wounds, while eleven law enforcement officers were taken to a military hospital. "As many as 83 people were sent for outpatient care," the spokesperson added.

Kyrgyz special forces’ operation to detain the former president, who was charged with corruption and stripped of immunity, began on Wednesday and lasted for almost 24 hours as law enforcement officers faced strong resistance from Atambayev’s supporters defending his residence in the settlement of Koi-Tash. A special forces member was killed during the operation, while 98 people were injured in clashes between Atambayev’s supporters and law enforcers. The second attempt to storm the residence followed on Thursday. Several thousand police and commandos were involved. Kyrgyzstan’s President Sooronbay Jeenbekov said that Atambayev had violated the country’s Constitution by offering armed resistance to law enforcers.

Atambayev who served as Kyrgyzstan’s president from 2011 to 2017 was the first Kyrgyz leader to step down after his first term of office expired. In the spring of 2018, Atambayev admitted that he had profound disagreements with incumbent President Sooronbay Jeenbekov.