EXPLAINER: What’s behind unrest rocking oil-rich Kazakhstan

MOSCOW (AP) — Kazakhstan is experiencing the fiercest street protests since the oil-rich Central Asian nation gained independence three decades ago. A sudden surge in the price of car fuel sparked demonstrations this week that quickly evolved into a broader stand against the former Soviet republic’s authoritarian leadership. Police in the country’s largest city said Thursday that dozens of protesters have been killed in attacks on government buildings. They say at least a dozen law enforcement officers also have been killed, including one who was beheaded. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had sought to placate the crowds Wednesday by dismissing the entire government. A Russia-led military alliance agreed Thursday to send peacekeepers to the country.