At least 14 people killed, 140 injured in riots in southern Kyrgyzstan

14 killed in new wave of unrest in Kyrgyzstan

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan — Riots in south Kyrgyzstan killed at least 14 people and injured more than 140, officials said Friday, as fears grew 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 and early Friday. Local media also reported that gangs of young men armed with sticks and stones smashed shop windows and set cars alight in the center. Several buildings across the city were on fire.

Health Ministry spokeswoman Yelena Bailinova said many of the injured were being treated for stabbing and gunshot wounds. Officials said 29 were in serious condition.

It is unclear what caused the latest round of unrest. Interim President Roza Otunbayeva said the clashes appeared to have sparked off by a local conflict. Local Kyrgyz media reported that a brawl broke out late Thursday evening on the city’s main thoroughfare.

Interim authorities swiftly declared a state of emergency in the city and dispatched armored vehicles and troops there in a bid to pacify the situation. But local residents said shooting continued into the morning and helicopters were flying low overhead.

City officials said soldiers were posted across Osh and at the entrances to the city.

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.

The mood in the south has been tense, however, since five people were killed and dozens injured during two separate clashes in the town of Jalal-Abad, which is about 45 miles (70 kilometers) from Osh.

Osh, which lies on the fringes of the volatile Ferghana Valley, has a large Uzbek minority and a history of ethnic violence. There seemed to be no clear evidence that Thursday’s violence was provoked by ethnic tensions, however.

One Osh resident told The Associated Press that he heard a 10-minute-long burst of gunfire shortly past midnight. Local media said they received reports of firing throughout the night.

Russian news agency Interfax reported that seven armored personnel vehicles carrying soldiers drove into the center early Friday.

In an emotional televised address Friday, Otunbayeva called for a return to calm.

“I would like to appeal in particular to the women of Kyrgyzstan. Dear sisters, find the right words for your sons, husbands and brothers. In the current situation, it is unacceptable to indulge in feelings of revenge and anger,” she said.

Bakyt Almbekov, a military commandant, said in remarks broadcast on Russian state television Friday that the unrest was petering out, but nevertheless a curfew would be in place from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. until June 20.

“The situation has become more stable, but there are still attempts to provoke more conflict,” Almbekov said.

The latest round of violence comes at a crucial time for Kyrgyzstan, as it gears up to approve a new constitution in a referendum on June 27.

The months ahead will be a key political test for the government, with voters heading to the ballot box to elect a new parliament in October.

Authorities dissolved parliament one day after Bakiyev was toppled from power. Critics of the interim government say the political vacuum has created an atmosphere of uncertainty in the country.