Protesters in the Uzbek town of Andijan cover up the bodies of men who died of soldiers’ fire. Human rights groups say that up to 500 people were killed in the turmoil. Photo by aljazeera.com
Up to 500 people have been killed in the recent turmoil in Andijan, an eastern Uzbek town, human rights organizations said Saturday.
Meanwhile, President Islam Karimov accused a radical Islamic group of starting the unrest to spark an uprising.
On Friday, soldiers opened fire on the crowd of about 2,000 demonstrators in Andijan.
Violence broke out after on Thursday night thousands of prisoners were freed from a local jail. The crowd that stormed the facility were enraged by the imprisoning of 23 local men on charges of Islamic extremism.
Angry residents of Andijan denounced the authorities and on Friday seized control over the city center and a government building. The situation in the town remains tense, world media said on Saturday.