ALMATY, Jan 6 Reuters - Troops and protesters clashed in Kazakhstan's largest city of Almaty on Thursday, with police saying tens of rioters had been eliminated as they tried to storm their offices.
Hundreds of people protesting against the government for the third day were reported from the scene on Thursday morning by several armoured personnel carriers and dozens of troops entering the main square of Almaty.
According to Reuters, gunshots were heard as troops approached the crowd, but the situation in the square had calmed down since then.
Around Kazakhstan, protests sparked by a fuel price rise killed eight police and national guard troops on Tuesday and Wednesday, prompting Kazakh president to appeal for help from a Russia-led security alliance, which offered to send peacekeeping forces.
State television reported on Thursday that the National Bank of Kazakhstan had decided to suspend work of banks in the country for the safety of their workers. The Internet in the country is mostly down.