12 killed in Kyrgyzstan clashes

At least 12 people were killed and over 100 injured in overnight clashes in southern Kyrgyzstan, a health ministry official said today.

At least 12 people were killed and over 100 injured in overnight clashes in southern Kyrgyzstan, a health ministry official said on Friday.

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Armoured vehicles have been sent in to stabilise the situation after hundreds of youths smashed windows, looted shops and set fire to cars in the city.

Earlier, the Kyrgyzstan interim government declared a state of emergency in the southern city of Osh due to the turmoil there, Xinhua reported.

In mid-May, supporters of the Kyrgyz interim government and those of ousted President Kurmanbek Bakiyev clashed in the southern cities of Osh and Jalalabad, during which several people were injured.

Riots broke out in April across the Central Asian country, resulting in the ouster of Bakiyev and the formation of an interim government.

At least 85 people were killed and thousands injured in clashes between anti-government protestors and security forces of Bakiyev's government.