MOSCOW -- Kazakhstan's president Friday authorized security forces to shoot to kill those participating in unrest, opening the door for an escalation in a crackdown on anti-government protests that have turned violent.
The Central Asian nation this week experienced its worst street protests since gaining independence from the Soviet Union three decades ago, and dozens of people have been killed in the tumult. The demonstrations began over a near-doubling of prices for a type of vehicle fuel and quickly spread across the country, reflecting wider discontent with authoritarian rule.
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In a televised address to the nation, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev referred to those involved in the turmoil as "terrorists," "bandits" and "militants" -- though it was unclear what led the peaceful protests to first gather steam and then descend into violence.
No protest leaders have emerged so far.
"I have given the order to law enforcement and the army to shoot to kill without warning," Tokayev said. "Those who don't surrender will be eliminated."
Concerns grew in recent days that an even broader crackdown might be coming, as internet and cellphone service were severely disrupted and sometimes blocked, and several airports closed -- making it difficult to know what was happening in the country and for images of the unrest to reach the outside world.
Adding to those fears was Tokayev's request for help from a Russia-led military alliance, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, whose troops began arriving Thursday.
On Friday, Kazakhstan's Interior Ministry reported that security forces have killed 26 protesters during the unrest, which escalated sharply Wednesday. Another 26 were wounded and more than 3,800 people have been detained. Eighteen law enforcement officers were reported killed and more than 700 injured.
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The numbers could not be independently verified.
More skirmishes in Almaty were reported Friday morning. Russia's state news agency Tass reported that the building occupied by the Kazakh branch of the Mir broadcaster, funded by several former Soviet states, was on fire.
In other parts of the country, the unrest appeared to be dying down.
On Friday morning, news reports said the internet was partially restored in the capital, Nur-Sultan. Officials also announced resuming train services.
The Almaty airport -- stormed and seized by the protesters -- was back under the control of Kazakh law enforcement and alliance forces, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said. But the facility will remain shut at least until Sunday, the Kazakh TV channel Khabar 24 reported, citing airport spokespeople.
Curfews remained in place in cities, and Tokayev tweeted Friday night that "the counter-terrorist operation continues in our country," with police, the National Guard and the armed forces carrying out "large-scale and well-coordinated work" to restore "law and order."
Hours before he authorized the use of lethal force, Tokayev indicated that some measure of calm had been restored, saying "local authorities are in control of the situation."
Tokayev has vacillated between trying to mollify the protesters -- including issuing a 180-day price cap on vehicle fuel and a moratorium on utility rate increases -- and threatening harsh measures.
As he vowed a tougher response, he called on the military alliance for help. A total of 2,500 troops have arrived so far, all of them in Almaty, Kazakh media reported, citing foreign ministry officials.
Kazakh officials have insisted that troops from the alliance, which includes several former Soviet republics, will not be fighting the demonstrators, and instead will guard government institutions.
Tokayev repeated his allegations that "foreign actors" along with "independent media" helped incite the turmoil.
Kazakhstan, which spans a territory the size of Western Europe, borders Russia and China and sits atop colossal reserves of oil, natural gas, uranium and precious metals that make it strategically and economically important -- and the crisis sparked concern in many quarters.
Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, said she was following the developments with a "great worry," while French President Emmanuel Macron called for de-escalation.
In Germany, Foreign Ministry spokesman Christofer Burger said "it must be said very clearly that a use of lethal force, of live ammunition against civilians can only be a very last resort, particularly if military forces are deployed."
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington had "questions about the nature" of what the Collective Security Treaty Organization has described as a peacekeeping mission.
"It would seem to me that Kazakh authorities and governments certainly have the capacity to deal appropriately with protests, to do so in a way that respects the rights of protesters while maintaining law and order. So it's not clear why they feel the need for any outside assistance," Blinken said.
Information for this article was contributed by Jim Heintz, Geir Moulson, Samuel Petrequin, Matt Lee and Edith M. Lederer of The Associated Press.