Armed men suspected of being religious extremists went on the rampage in a town in Kazakhstan on Sunday, killing three civilians and three soldiers, the interior ministry said. The co-ordinated attacks on two weapons stores and a military base in the western town of Aktobe triggered a major counter-terrorist operation with police clearing people from shopping malls and markets while public transport was shut down.
Four of the gunmen were killed by security forces and seven others arrested, ministry spokesman Almas Sadubayev told Russian news agency Interfax.
A civilian shop owner and a security guard were killed in the first gunshop that was targeted, while a customer was shot dead in the second firearms store, he was quoted a saying.
Gunmen also killed three soldiers as they tried to storm a military base.
"The assailants hijacked a bus. They then ordered the passengers and the driver to get off and tried to ram the gates," Sadubayev told Russian media. "They opened fire and shot dead three soldiers."