Deadly Clashes As Kyrgyz Special Forces Storm Compound Of Former President
Scenes from inside the residence of ex-President Almazbek Atambaev after security forces stormed the facility.
![Special-forces troops during the operation to detain former Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev in the village of Koi-Tash, near Bishkek](https://gdb.rferl.org/55c155ae-a172-40bf-b93c-a2c7925546ea_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Special-forces troops during the operation to detain former Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev in the village of Koi-Tash, near Bishkek
![Scenes inside the house where the fighting took place. Atambaev has his own security personnel who were with him when the raid began.](https://gdb.rferl.org/7d9084db-c9d2-49e1-905e-0c1a70401107_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Scenes inside the house where the fighting took place. Atambaev has his own security personnel who were with him when the raid began.
![Special-forces troops surrender inside Atambaev’s residence.](https://gdb.rferl.org/94e0e21a-c191-4826-964e-150632132b1d_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Special-forces troops surrender inside Atambaev’s residence.
![A member of the special-forces team is attacked by Atambaev supporters after surrendering.](https://gdb.rferl.org/a83ef71a-1e56-4c48-99d9-88a5411cac81_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A member of the special-forces team is attacked by Atambaev supporters after surrendering.
![](https://gdb.rferl.org/d7ff8bf2-fd48-4248-8b23-06a424b2fe38_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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![Supporters of Atambaev surround an apparently unconscious member of the special forces team. One policeman was shot dead in the operation. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/9ba83492-1481-4df1-ae21-5344753fbebb_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Supporters of Atambaev surround an apparently unconscious member of the special forces team. One policeman was shot dead in the operation.
![A fire rages in the compound as supporters of the ex-president arm themselves with sticks. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/b4688d68-9570-456e-82ba-1a780b794d9b_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A fire rages in the compound as supporters of the ex-president arm themselves with sticks.
![A man holds a helmet and a clip of ammunition.](https://gdb.rferl.org/2f85db5a-15a2-4aa3-a025-b020aab07844_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A man holds a helmet and a clip of ammunition.
![A bloodied member of the Kyrgyz special forces who was injured in the storming of the compound ](https://gdb.rferl.org/60fa7237-ce40-45cb-a7f3-7812528d3330_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A bloodied member of the Kyrgyz special forces who was injured in the storming of the compound
![Supporters of Atambaev brandish an assault rifle and a clip of ammunition. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/a57d6851-1897-45db-8aa8-737e857859f1_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Supporters of Atambaev brandish an assault rifle and a clip of ammunition.
![Supporters of the ex-president and a wounded member of the special forces (bottom right). As of the morning of August 8, six hostages are reported to be held by Atambaev’s supporters.](https://gdb.rferl.org/e894c221-c99c-433e-a2ec-a38f06698571_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Supporters of the ex-president and a wounded member of the special forces (bottom right). As of the morning of August 8, six hostages are reported to be held by Atambaev’s supporters.
![An Atambaev supporter wields a partly disassembled automatic weapon that appears to have been seized from special forces troops.](https://gdb.rferl.org/fb48ac3f-68cd-44c6-9ef2-12db8576b918_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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An Atambaev supporter wields a partly disassembled automatic weapon that appears to have been seized from special forces troops.
![Supporters gather at the entrance to a building in the compound. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/593ae109-d839-4f3f-bb53-6616f3284a01_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Supporters gather at the entrance to a building in the compound.
![Makeshift barricades inside the residence.](https://gdb.rferl.org/45e756ca-7c77-49bd-996d-9ada589e64d6_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Makeshift barricades inside the residence.
![A blood-soaked man at the entrance to a building inside Atambaev’s residence.](https://gdb.rferl.org/d9c40491-6f23-428f-b647-ca70806bb418_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A blood-soaked man at the entrance to a building inside Atambaev’s residence.
![Riot police in formation during the raid. The authorities have since withdrawn from the village. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/29953d32-b7e7-4ca0-ad8f-18e4c6d2c362_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Riot police in formation during the raid. The authorities have since withdrawn from the village.
![Rocks on a road leading to the compound.](https://gdb.rferl.org/bdb51650-14ef-4665-8f94-a68c68701741_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Rocks on a road leading to the compound.
![Supporters of Atambaev celebrate after repelling the operation by Kyrgyz special forces. On August 8, the former president announced he would hold a press conference and called on his supporters to join him. ](https://gdb.rferl.org/4e27e989-8292-483b-a5d8-7aa803faa77a_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Supporters of Atambaev celebrate after repelling the operation by Kyrgyz special forces. On August 8, the former president announced he would hold a press conference and called on his supporters to join him.