Kyrgyz Opposition Has Seized Manas International Airport Claiming Control in Country

One of the latest venues seized by the opposition is Manas International airport on the outskirts of the capital Bishkek that accommodates a US military base.

According to BBC the oppositionist Bolot Abdrakhmanov, now in control of the airport, says there have been no disruptions in its work. President Bakiev, his Minister of Defense and their closest supporters have flown from Manas to the city of Osh in the South. They are allegedly overseeing an operation there to distribute arms to supporters.

Mass opposition riots in Kyrgyzstan left 65 people dead, the Health Ministry reports. The biggest number of victims, 47, is in the capital of Bishkek. Around 490 people have received medical help and 393 have been hospitalized.

The United States said it deplored the violence and urged "respect for the rule of law". It also said it believed the government was still in control.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin denied that Moscow had played any role in the unrest, saying it was a "domestic affair" and that there should be "restraint."

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said the protests showed the "outrage at the existing regime."

A spokesman for Ban Ki-moon said the UN secretary general was "shocked by the reported deaths and injuries that have occurred today in Kyrgyzstan. He urgently appeals for dialogue and calm to avoid further bloodshed."