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2 Gunmen Stage Deadly Attack on Police Station in Kazakhstan Gunman Stages Deadly Attack on Police Station in Kazakhstan
(about 7 hours later)
MOSCOW — Two gunmen stormed a police station on Monday in Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan, and killed three officers and a civilian, in an attack described as blending criminal and radical Islamist motivations. MOSCOW — A gunman stormed a police station on Monday in Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan, and killed three officers and two civilians in an attack attributed to radical Islamist motivations.
The attack elevated concerns about the spread of terrorism in former Soviet Central Asia as an oil bust ripples through regional economies and as the Islamic State’s footprint expands. The attack elevated concerns about the spread of terrorism in former Soviet Central Asia as an oil bust ripples through regional economies and the Islamic State’s footprint expands.
The police in Almaty said the attackers wrested a rifle from a guard at a police station, wounded him and then used the weapon to kill three police officers. As the gun battle raged, the two shot and killed a civilian before hijacking his Toyota Corolla. The police in Almaty said the attacker wrested a rifle from a guard at a police station, wounded him and then used the weapon to kill three police officers. As the battle raged, the gunman shot and killed one of the two civilian victims before hijacking his Toyota Corolla. He was later caught by the police and taken into custody.
One of the attackers, identified as a 27-year-old resident of Kyzylorda in the country’s oil-rich western region, was wounded and detained, the police said. They were searching for the second gunman and declared a terrorism alert. Early on Monday, officers said that two men had attacked the police station. But later, in a clarification, they said that the second suspect was in fact a hostage — a taxi driver who had been forced to drive the gunman to the scene of the attack.
Tass, the Russian news agency, reported that more than a dozen people were wounded, and a local news portal said seven police officers were in intensive care with gunshot wounds. Tass, the Russian news agency, reported that more than a dozen other people were wounded, and a local news portal said seven police officers were in intensive care with gunshot wounds.
The authorities alternatively described the rampage as the work of criminals on the run after killing a woman over the weekend, or of Islamic radicals, although the two theories are not mutually exclusive. The authorities alternatively described the rampage as the work of criminals on the run after killing a woman over the weekend, or of Islamic radicals — though the two theories are not mutually exclusive. On Monday evening, President Nursultan Nazarbayev called the shooting a terrorist attack. Security officials said the suspect, a 26-year-old resident of oil-rich western Kazakhstan, had converted to fundamentalist Salafi Islam while serving a prison term for robbery.
Kazakhstan, an oil producer with major investments from Chevron and Exxon, has been a bastion of stability for most of the post-Soviet period. But the oil price collapse and subsequent devaluation of the currency is straining the government of President Nursultan A. Nazarbayev. Kazakhstan, an oil producer with major investments from Chevron and Exxon, has been a bastion of stability for most of the post-Soviet period. But the oil price collapse and subsequent devaluation of the currency is straining the government.
Last month, security forces killed two dozen attackers identified as sympathizers of the Islamic State in the northwestern town of Aktobe after the militants stole guns from sporting goods stores and attacked the police and a national guard base.Last month, security forces killed two dozen attackers identified as sympathizers of the Islamic State in the northwestern town of Aktobe after the militants stole guns from sporting goods stores and attacked the police and a national guard base.