Troops opened fire on thousands of demonstrators in Uzbekistan yesterday as President Islam Karimov tried to prevent an uprising in the east of the central Asian republic from escalating into a threat to his autocratic leadership.
A violent battle with security forces erupted in the town of Andizhan after armed rebels stormed the town prison overnight, freeing more than 2,000 inmates. The Uzbek press service reported nine people dead and 34 wounded - although the protest's leaders told news agencies as many as 50 had been killed.
