ALMATY, Reuters – Kazakh President Kassym Jomart Tokayev stated that the country’s constitutional order was mostly restored after this week of unrest in Central Asia. His office quoted him saying it in a statement.

In a separate statement, the Kazakh interior ministry stated that 26 “armed criminals”, more than 3,000 detained and over 2,000 of them had been arrested. 18 officers and guard service men had also been killed during the protests.

“An operation against terrorists has been initiated. Law and order forces are hard at work. Tokayev reported that constitutional order was largely restored across all the regions.

Local authorities have taken control of the situation. Terrorists continue to use weapons and damage property, however. “Counter-terrorist activities should be maintained until all militants are eradicated,” he said.

Russia has sent its paratroopers as part the Russia-led CSTO Security bloc to aid in the downing of the nationwide rebellion in one of Moscow’s most close former Soviet allies.

Reuters correspondents were able to see armoured personal vehicles and military personnel in Almaty’s main square on Friday morning. It is Kazakhstan’s biggest city. On Thursday, soldiers had opened fire at demonstrators.

A mere 100 metres from the scene, Reuters reporters saw a corpse in a badly damaged civil car.

They also found a store that was ransacked and used to sell military equipment and ammunition. There were about 100 military-dressed people at another Almaty square.

Tokayev will address nation on Friday. His administration stated that he asked Almaty residents to be more careful while they search for hidden bandits.

This violence is unprecedented for a country ruled by Nursultan Nagabayev (81), who was president three years before his death.

After protests over a New Year’s Day fuel price increase, the uprising grew on Wednesday as protestors chanting slogans about Nazarbayev invaded Almaty’s buildings. Protesters accused Nazarbayev and his family of building vast wealth, while 19 million people remained in poverty.

Tokayev was Nazarbayev’s chosen successor. He earlier blamed the unrest upon foreign-trained terrorists.