Russia-led alliance sending peacekeepers to Kazakhstan

By JIM HEINTZ
Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) — A Russia-led military alliance says it will dispatch peacekeeping forces to Kazakhstan after the country’s president asked for help in controlling protests that have escalated into violence, including the seizure and setting afire of some government buildings. Protesters in Kazakhstan’s largest city stormed the presidential residence and the mayor’s office Wednesday and set both on fire, according to news reports, as demonstrations sparked by a rise in fuel prices escalated sharply. Police reportedly fired on some protesters at the residence in Almaty before fleeing. The Kazakh Interior Ministry says eight police officers and national guard members were killed in the unrest and more than 300 were injured. No figures on civilian casualties were released.