ALMATY (Reuters – Kazakhstan’s President Kassym Jomart Tkayev claimed that he gave shoot-to kill orders on Friday to control further disturbances by those he calls terrorists and bandits. Also, he said that those who refused to surrender would “be destroyed.”

Tokayev claimed that as many as 20,000 “bandits”, had attacked Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan and destroyed state property. He made this statement after an intense week of protests against fuel prices which turned into widespread unrest across the country.

According to him, the operation was part of the counter-terrorist strategy. He had instructed the law enforcement and army agencies “to fire without warning.”

“The militants will not give up their weapons, they are continuing to do crimes and/or are planning on doing them. They must be defeated to the last. Tokayev stated on state TV that “whoever does not give up will be destroyed.”

He rejected calls for talks with protesters.

“What stupidity. How can we talk with murderers and criminals? He said.

“We were faced with well-armed and prepared bandits both local and international. Terrorists are even more problematic. They must be destroyed immediately.

Tokayev thanked Vladimir Putin (Russian President) and Uzbekistan’s leaders for their support.

His statement stated that peacekeeping force from Russia, and other countries were temporarily stationed in Kazakhstan to provide security.

Tokayev said that understanding why the state was “sleeping through the underground preparation for terrorist attacks, by militant sleeper cell” was critical.