Kyrgyzstan’s city of Osh turned into warzone as bullet riddled or stabbed corpses literally litter the streets in third day of violence.
Smoke rising from Osh after several buildings were set on fire - Photo by : Mohammed Ameen / Reuters
According to Kyrgyzstan’s interim governments figures, over 117 people have been killed and 1,400 wounded in the city of Osh and there are fears that the violence will spread to other cities.
However one leader of an Uzbek community had said that the death toll is at the minimum over 200, and that approximately 100,000 ethnic Uzbeks have left their homes to flee to the border with Uzbekistan.
According to The Associated Press, Jallahitdin Jalilatdinov, the head of the Uzbek National Center has expressed his concern about the riots in Kyrgyzstan and has said that there have been at least 200 Uzbeks buried since the violence started on Thursday night.
Just in April former President of Kyrgyzstan, Kurmanbek Bakiyev was ousted in a violent uprising where over 60 people had lost their lives.
Some have even suggested that the Kyrgyz groups which are alleged to have started the violence was backed by Bakiyev who had a huge number of supporters in Osh.
According to the International Red Cross the Kyrgyz authorities and emergency services have been completely overwhelmed by the severity and amount of violent riots and brutality.
There has even been reports of several people being burnt alive in a shop which was completely destroyed by fires in Osh.
Bodies turned into charcoal some riddled with bullets were seen inside a shop as some Uzbeks alleged that many of the people were alive while the fire started.
Meanwhile the U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has also discussed the unrest in the area which is very important to the United States and Russia with both countries having military bases in the country.
The interim government which had played a large part in Bakiyev’s departure in April has said that more troops will be sent to Osh to take control of the area.
Just on Sunday, the government had given shoot to kill orders, something which the ethnic Kyrgyzstan groups have reported to be un-phased by, as many have received training in military combat.
Russia has sent paratroopers to their military bases in case an attack occurs while many of the injured from the riots have been flown to Moscow to receive treatment.
Moscow will also hold a security meeting on Monday with former Soviet republics regarding the violence in Kyrgyzstan.
The violence has come in the month in which a constitutional referendum over the reduction of presidential powers was set to go to parliament.
Bakiyev has denied any involvement in the riots and has blamed the interim government for not protecting the people.
