Protesters overthrew the government of the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan yesterday after spectacular violence tore through the strategic central Asian state. World leaders watched anxiously as street demonstrations turned into bloody and deadly riots that ended with President Kurmanbek Bakiyev fleeing the capital, parliament overrun and the government opposition seizing control.
The United States, which uses an air base at Manas in Kyrgyzstan to supply troops in Afghanistan, called for calm, saying it was "deeply concerned" by events. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin also appealed for restraint and denied Russia had played any hand in the clashes.
Analysts said Washington sees Kyrgyzstan as a bulwark against radical Islam in central Asia and that the United States, Russia and China would want a quick end to the anarchy.
"Russia and the United States have been competing for influence for a long time and have air bases just a few miles apart, so it is an active centre of the 'Great Game' right now between the powers of Russia, China and the U.S.," said Chris Weafer, the chief strategist at Uralsib bank in Moscow.
The fast-moving events in Kyrgyzstan capped a day of ferocious clashes in the capital Bishkek and other cities that quickly turned into a nationwide revolt against Mr. Bakiyev. There were reports of more than 100 people killed and hundreds wounded.
The riots were the culmination of spiralling protests with the opposition demanding Mr. Bakiyev's resignation and accusing his government of rights violations, authoritarianism and economic mismanagement.
Unrest was also rising because living standards in Kyrgyzstan, where many families depended on money sent back from relatives working in Russia, had fallen sharply during the economic crisis.
Mr. Bakiyev gained power five years ago on a wave of similar protests known as the Tulip Revolution. Opponents say he has become as bad if not worse than Askar Akayev, the man he toppled in 2005.
Thousands of people turned out for demonstrations in the capital yesterday that quickly turned violent. Riot police fired tear gas and stun grenades in repeated bids to disperse the demonstrators and a state of emergency was declared, but to little effect.
Across Bishkek the crackle of automatic weapons fire filled the air, protesters appeared to have seized several heavily armoured police vehicles, and looters ransacked the home of Mr. Bakiyev's family.
A police source and a witness said Interior Minister Moldomus Kongantiyev had been killed in the northwest hub of Talas where the first protests erupted. Deputy prime minister Akylbek Zhaparov was reported to be a hostage in the same town.
Later, opposition protesters seized the presidential administration, forced the government to resign and announced on state radio that they had formed a provisional government with former foreign minister Roza Otunbayeva at its head. "Power is now in the hands of the people's government," Ms. Otunbayeva said in an address on state radio.
"Responsible people have been appointed and are already working to normalize the situation." Galina Skripkina, a senior official in the opposition Social-Democratic Party and member of parliament, said, "We have reached an agreement that the government will resign. That has not been signed on paper yet."
She said Mr. Bakiyev had left the capital Bishkek and flown to the southern city of Osh. Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations Secretary-General, who visited Kyrgyzstan this week, made an urgent appeal "for dialogue and calm to avoid further bloodshed."