Violent uprising in Kyrgyzstan

Protests have led to bloodshed on the streets of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where 180 have been wounded and at least 21 killed.

In the grips of what appeared to be a violent revolution, Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, has seen a day in which riot police shot protestors dead. Demonstrators demanding the resignation of president, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, seized key buildings across the city including the Parliament and TV station. An attempt to take control of the nation's security service headquaters was repulsed, however, the prosecutor's office was set ablaze.

The opposition claim that security forces have killed more than 100 anti-government protestors and hospitals have been inundadated with casulties. From Bishkek, a Reuters photographer reported seeing 5 dead bodies and Associated Press said that doctors were unable to cope, as casulaties lined the corridors. The news agency reported that nurses wept over dead bodies in hospitals, whose floors were drenched with blood.

Initial reports said that the Kyrgyzstani interior minister had been beaten to death by a mob of protestors, later it was reported he had survived, and a house of the president's family looted by rioters.

The apparently spontaneous uprising began outside the offices of the social democratic opposition parties, where around 200 people gathered on Wednesday morning. From there the congregated protestors marched towards the city centre, avoiding police attempts to stop them. Police cars were overturned and set alight and roads blockaded as they made their way towards government buildings.

Omurbek Tekebayev of the opposition speaking on a national TV station, now under the control of protestors, said "Our only objective is that they [the authorities] resign".

The uprising may be of concern to the US, for whom Kyrgyzstan is a key ally in Central Asia. The country is home to a US airbase and the countries' relationship is a source of growing friction with Moscow. The Kremlin, troubled by the US-Kyrgyzstan relationship, has becoming increasingly irritated with President Bakiyev. In light of this, Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, has denied any Russian involvement in initiating the protests.

Outside the capital, anti-government mobs seized control of local government buildings in many areas. In the central town of Naryn, 3,000 protestors took over the local administration buildings, throwing documents and a flag from the windows. Demonstrators then moved to seize regional police headquaters.

Once seen as a progressive nation, Kyrgyzstan has recently become increasingly authoritarian. However, experts say that it was the non-political factor, an increase in water and gas tarrifs, that triggered the protests.