Kazakhstan's President Explains Why Terrorists Targeted Almaty

During the January unrest, terrorists in Almaty were interested in attacking government buildings to seize materials related to criminal cases and personal data of law enforcement officials. This was stated by Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

“These individuals were not, of course, interested in material values. They led the assaults on administrative buildings and were concerned with criminal cases. This was a meticulously planned operation, essentially a terrorist act involving foreign militants,” Tokayev stated in an interview.

It is worth recalling that protests were held in Kazakhstan at the beginning of January against rising prices for liquefied gas. The protests quickly escalated into large-scale riots.