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8 Jan 2022, 19:20

Almaty surrounded by checkpoints, dozens of servicemen on watch

Cars are surveyed and documents are inspected thoroughly at the city’s exit

ALMATY, January 8. /TASS/. Almaty is fully surrounded by checkpoints, with dozens of servicemen and armored vehicles on watch, a TASS correspondent reported on Saturday.

Cars are surveyed and documents are inspected thoroughly at the city’s exit.

The shooting is occasionally heard in Almaty, though it is less intense than in previous days. TV reports repeatedly urge to stay clear of windows in the regions where the mopping-up operation is underway.

Some food stores have opened, though residents say there is no bread available. There are still problems with cash in the city.

Earlier, the Almaty authorities stated that the situation in the city was under control, though the top level of terrorist threat had been enforced in the region. The authorities have urged the population to remain calm and not to leave houses unless necessary.

Protests erupted in several Kazakh cities on January 2, escalating into mass riots with government buildings getting ransacked in several cities a few days later. The ensuing violence left scores of people injured, with fatalities also being reported. Subsequently, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev turned to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) requesting assistance from the Russia-led bloc. As a result, peacekeepers have already been deployed to Kazakhstan. Law and order, Kazakh authorities affirm, was restored to all of the country’s regions by the morning of January 7.