Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Wednesday that he had appealed to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a military alliance of Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, to assist Kazakhstan amid mounting threats from terrorist gangs. Tokayev said terrorist groups in Kazakhstan have received extensive training abroad, making their actions acts of international terrorism. In a televised speech, the President said the gangs have been seizing buildings, infrastructure, and weapons, and have taken control of the airport in Kazakhstan’s biggest city, Almaty, and five aircraft there, including foreign planes.

According to Tokayev, there are ongoing clashes between Kazakh armed forces and terrorist groups on the outskirts of Almaty. The attackers took over buildings, then aggressively fought back law enforcement forces.

The President called on his people to stay calm. He promised that the government will do everything possible to protect citizens, calling the current situation “a very difficult page in Kazakhstan’s history”.

Source: VOV5