Servicemen on duty at Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport in Nur-SultanALMA-ATA, Jan 18Border guards in Nur-Sultan detained two citizens of Kazakhstan who were planning to fly to Russia with knives in their luggage and hand luggage, in addition, evidence of their involvement in mass riots was found in the detainees' mobile phones, the press service of the National Security Committee (KNB) reported. Servicemen of the Nur-Sultan border control department, while guarding and defending the facilities of the capital's airport … detained two citizens of Kazakhstan who intended to leave for the Russian Federation. During the check of their luggage and hand luggage, cold weapons were found: knives, brass knuckles and handcuffs, » — the KNB said in a statement. In addition, video recordings were found in the detainees' mobile phones confirming their participation in rallies, demonstrative actions and pogroms in Alma-Ata. The detainees were handed over to the linear police department for further prosecution. Mass protests in Kazakhstan began in the first days of 2022 — residents of the cities of Zhanaozen and Aktau in the west of the country opposed the doubling of prices for liquefied gas. Later, the protests spread to other cities, including Alma-Ata, the old capital and the largest city of the republic: looting began there, militants attacked state institutions, took away weapons. In response, the authorities declared a state of emergency throughout the country until January 19 and launched a counter-terrorism operation. According to the UN, during the protests in Kazakhstan, about 1,000 people were injured. According to the country's Prosecutor General's Office, 4,578 people were injured as a result of the riots, 225 people were killed, including 19 security officials.The Cabinet of Ministers of Kazakhstan approved a plan to stabilize the situation after the riotsOn the morning of January 5, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev dismissed the government and headed the Security Council. At the first meeting of the Security Council under his leadership, Tokayev described the situation in Kazakhstan as undermining the integrity of the state and said that he had asked for help from the CSTO «in overcoming the terrorist threat.» The CSTO Collective Security Council decided to send collective peacekeeping forces to Kazakhstan to normalize the situation in the country. On January 7, Tokayev said that the terrorists, including those who had arrived from abroad, continued to resist, and promised to destroy those who did not lay down their arms. In addition, the president noted that all the demands of citizens, expressed in peaceful forms, were heard. On Thursday, January 13, the successful completion of the CSTO mission was announced, peacekeepers began to return from Kazakhstan. West
