Kazakh leader: Russia-led security group to pull out troops

By DASHA LITVINOVA
Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) — The president of Kazakhstan has announced that a Russia-led security alliance will start pulling out its troops from the Central Asian country in two days after completing its mission. The mostly Russian troops were deployed to Kazakhstan last week by the Collective Security Treaty Organization, an alliance of six former Soviet states, at the president’s request amid unprecedented public unrest. Protests over soaring fuel prices erupted in Kazakhstan on Jan. 2 and quickly spread across the country, turning violent. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has blamed the unrest on foreign-backed “terrorists.” He said Tuesday that the CSTO will start withdrawing its troops in two days and the process will take no longer than 10 days.