Kyrgyz military participating in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) peacekeeping mission in Kazakhstan will return to Kyrgyzstan on January 14, the Kyrgyz Defence Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday.
"The peacekeeping military contingent of the Kyrgyz Republic's armed forces will arrive from Almaty to their permanent disposition -- [the Kyrgyz city of] Tokmok -- in the afternoon of January 14," the spokesperson said.
The Kyrgyz contingent of the CSTO peacekeeping mission included 150 military and 19 pieces of equipment. They protected strategic sites in the biggest city of Kyrgyzstan, Almaty.
The public unrest in Kazakhstan erupted in the early days of January, with residents of western cities of Zhanaozen and Aktau protesting against a two-fold increase in liquefied gas prices. The protests spilled over to other cities and turned into violent unrest with looting, attacks on state facilities and clashes with the police.
On January 5, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev dismissed the government and called for CSTO assistance "in overcoming the terrorist threat." The CSTO sent collective peacekeeping forces to stabilize the situation and curb the violence in Kazakhstan. On Wednesday, Tokayev declared the CSTO mission success and said that an organized withdrawal of the peacekeeping contingent, expected to last for 10 days, would begin on January 13. (ANI/Sputnik)
( With inputs from ANI )
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