MOSCOW, February 10. /TASS/. President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev admitted that he was distressed over the high number of victims caused by the nationwide January riots, and reassured the public that all the insurrectionists would be brought to justice.

"This is the first visit after the New Year and, unfortunately, after the tragic events that took place in our country. Indeed, there was a meticulously planned operation by international terrorists and gangsters, who attacked Kazakhstan in order to undermine the constitutional order and carry out a coup d’etat," Tokayev stated during the talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin Thursday.

Tokayev noted that "an investigation is currently underway, and the initial results are emerging."

"Unfortunately, many casualties were sustained and I am greatly distressed by this, I expressed my condolences to the relatives and those close to the victims," the Kazakh leader noted. "An investigation into each individual case is underway and those guilty will be of course found, punished, and most importantly, brought to justice."

He reiterated his gratitude "for a warm, business-like attitude to Kazakhstan’s request for peacekeeping contingent."

"The peacekeeping contingent played a very important role from the standpoint of active, if I can say so, protection of strategic sites and, of course, from the standpoint of psychological intimidation of terrorists and bandits who picked Kazakhstan as their victim this time," Tokayev said.