Kazakh President speaks deadlines for CSTO peacekeeping mission

PanARMENIAN.Net - Peacekeeping troops comprising of multinational forces of CSTO member states were deployed in Kazakhstan and will remain there for a short period of time until the stabilization of the situation, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has said.

According to him, the analysis of the situation showed earlier that Kazakhstan was facing "an armed act of aggression well prepared and coordinated by perpetrators and terrorist groups trained outside the country."

Almost immediately after Tokayev asked for help, the CSTO decided to deploy a peacekeeping contingent in Kazakhstan, with Armenia sending 100 troops to Kazakhstan as part of the contingent.

Throughout the mission, the Armenian peacekeeping unit will only protect buildings and infrastructures of strategic importance, the Defense Ministry said.

Protesters stormed government buildings in Almaty on January 5 and fought running battles with police and the military, with officials saying 748 security officers were wounded and 18 killed