Gunfire Rattles Kyrgyzstan Capital, President Refuses to Quit
Presidents Obama and Medvedev discuss Kyrgyzstan uprising.
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, April 8, 2010 — -- Security forces battled hundreds of looters in Kyrgyzstan's capital of Bishkek Thursday night as gunfire and uncertainty reigned over the country following the apparent ousting of the government by opposition protesters.
Police and special forces patrolled the streets, especially near strategic facilities like power plants and the mayor's office, the Interfax news agency reports.
After angry and at times bloody confrontations Wednesday between protestors and government forces that took at least 74 lives, opposition leader Roza Otunbayeva said parliament was dissolved and she would head an interim government that would rule for six months until elections were held.
The situation may remain unstable, however, as President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who fled the capital and is said to be in hiding in the central Jalal-Abad region, pledged not to cede power to a violent uprising.
Shortly after Bakiyev's vow was aired, darkness fell on the capital and sustained automatic gunfire could be heard from several points in the capital.
Kyrgyzstan is a crucially important United States ally. The U.S. maintains an air base here that is a key supply point for the war in nearby Afghanistan. Although the opposition had earlier called for the U.S. base to be closed, Otunbayeva said today that the base would be allowed to continue its operations.
"Its status quo will remain in place. We still have some questions on it. Give us time and we will listen to all the sides and solve everything," she said at a news conference.
Despite diverting some flights during the unrest, U.S. officials told ABC News that the Manas Air Base Transit Center is up and running and may take in some American families as the security situation is assessed. The U.S. Embassy in Bishkek is also functioning, although it was closed to the public.
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