At least 5 people killed in a new wave of unrest in southern Kyrgyzstan
By APThursday, June 10, 2010
5 killed in new wave of unrest in Kyrgyzstan
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan — Authorities say at least five people have been killed in riots in south Kyrgyzstan, sparking fears of a new cycle of violence in the Central Asian nation.
Witnesses in Osh, the country’s second-largest city, reported hearing sustained gunfire late Thursday. Local media have reported that gangs of young men armed with sticks attacked businesses and set cars alight.
Interim authorities swiftly declared a state of emergency and dispatched armored vehicles and troops to the city in a bid to pacify the situation.
Kyrgyzstan has been enjoying an uneasy calm since a mass revolt in April led to the overthrow of then-President Kurmanbek Bakiyev. Quelling the disturbances in Osh will prove a decisive test of the provisional government’s ability to control the country.
