Kazakhstan has arrested 7,939 people in connection with the riots, according to Reuters

NUR-SULTAN (Reuters) – A total of 7,939 people have been detained in Kazakhstan’s security forces since last week’s riots, the Interior Ministry said was the deadliest violence in the post-Soviet history of the Central Asian nation.

Government buildings were briefly set on fire or set on fire in several cities last week as peaceful protests against rising fuel prices initially turned violent.

Authorities have blamed the violence on “extremists” and “terrorists,” some of whom say they were foreigners.

Former head of the National Security Council Karim Masimov was arrested last week for treason, days after President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was removed from office.

Tokayev has also removed his cabinet, issued firing orders to end the riots, and imposed a state of emergency on the nation’s 19 million oil-rich nation. Russia has called for troops to be sent to a military-led military bloc, which the government says has been deployed to guard strategic objects.

Russian and state media reported that 164 people were killed in the clashes, citing a message on government social media. But the health and police authorities did not confirm the figure and then deleted the post on social media.

“I think there was a conspiracy with some destructive domestic and foreign forces,” Secretary of State Yerlan Karin told state television on Monday, without naming any suspects.