Violence escalates in capital of Kyrgyzstan

BISHKEK • Former Soviet state Kyrgyzstan was plunged deeper into chaos Friday after supporters of rival groups brawled in the city centre and shots were fired at a car carrying the leader of one of the factions jostling for power.

The army was called on to the streets and a state of emergency declared shortly before an apparent bid to assassinate former president Almazbek Atambayev, who had been in prison until protesters released him Monday.

Current president Sooronbai Jeenbekov, who fled the capital after protesters stormed government buildings in anger over alleged vote rigging, ordered the army into Bishkek, the capital, to quell the unrest.

“In order to prevent clashes in the city, it is necessary to move in personnel with armoured vehicles and install checkpoints,” he said in a statement. “Our citizens and compatriots should not fall victim to any political forces.

Jeenbekov has been largely silent throughout the week although he has said he would be willing to resign once order has been restored. His resolve to impose order, or perhaps retain power, may have been bolstered by Russia. The Kremlin has said its security forces have been advising their Kyrgyz counterparts.

In Ala-Too Square, the imposing Soviet-designed centre of the capital, the Telegraph saw the fighting break out between rival groups. Shots were fired, hundreds of people ran through the streets and some were crushed by the stampede.

Reports later said the shots were fired at a car carrying Atambayev. Local media also reported that a rival leader was among the dozen or so people injured in the fighting.

Tension had been building with thousands joining rallies in central Bishkek supporting different factions.

There has been a power and security vacuum in Kyrgyzstan since Monday's revolution, the third in 15 years. Since being overwhelmed by protesters, uniformed police have disappeared from Bishkek's streets. Instead, groups of volunteers have been patrolling the city at night to stop looting.

A parliamentary election on Sunday, which protesters say was rigged, triggered the protests that led to the storming of the government buildings and the apparent collapse of the government.

VYACHESLAV OSELEDKO / AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES Supporters of Sadyr Japarov, who has styled himself as Kyrgyzstan's prime minister, throw clumps of earth toward supporters of the former president on Friday.