The military intervened after violent riots in Kazakhstan in Central Asia.
"Terrorist gangs" had fought a fight with paratroopers in the city of Almaty, said President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in a televised address on Thursday night.
The city's airport in the southeast of the authoritarian republic has been "liberated", reported the Kazakh media, citing the deputy mayor of Almaty, Edzhan Babakumarov.
A "special operation" has started.
According to the media, a crowd occupied the airport on Wednesday afternoon. Several airlines then canceled flights to Almaty. Several Kazakh Telegram channels published videos that night allegedly showing the military crackdown on demonstrators in the urban area of Almaty. Shot noises can be heard on the recordings and people screaming. President Tokayev also said in his address that he had asked the Russian-led military alliance Organization of the Collective Security Treaty for help. The riots that broke out over the weekend are “not a threat, but an undermining of the integrity of the state”.
The unprecedented protests in Kazakhstan, in which, according to the authorities, at least eight police officers and soldiers had so far been killed, broke out out of displeasure at the significantly higher prices for liquefied gas at filling stations. There are also 317 injured among the security forces, the Sputnik news agency reported on Wednesday, citing the Ministry of the Interior. Many Kazakhs use liquefied petroleum gas because it is cheaper than gasoline. The former Soviet republic was plunged into a serious political crisis. The government resigned on Wednesday. A state of emergency has been declared across the country.
There were particularly violent riots in Almaty.
In the economic metropolis, demonstrators stormed the city administration and Tokayev's residence.
In Kazakhstan, which was ruled by the ruler Nursultan Nazarbayev for decades, it is the largest wave of protests in years.
The country with more than 18 million inhabitants borders among others with Russia and China.
It is rich in oil and gas reserves.
The republic is also one of the largest uranium producers in the world.
Nevertheless, Kazakhstan is struggling with mismanagement and poverty.
How many thousands of people took part in the protests was unclear.
In the meantime, the Internet has been switched off - presumably to make new meetings more difficult.
Several television stations stopped operating.
Tokayev had initially tried to calm the heated mood with urgent appeals.
“Don't respond to calls to storm official buildings.
It's a crime, "said the head of state, who has been in office since 2019.
After his election there had also been protests with hundreds of arrests.
He also imposed a state of emergency in some parts of the country until January 19, including in the capital Nur-Sultan, in Almaty and in the Mangystau region in western Kazakhstan.
Associated with this are curfews during the night and ban on gatherings.