MOSCOW, April 11 (Reuters) – Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev’s security chief said on Sunday he and not the ousted leader ordered guards to shoot at protesters during clashes last week in which 81 were killed, Russian news agency RIA reported.

Government troops opened fire on a crowd of more than 5,000 protesters in the capital Bishkek in the clashes that ended Bakiyev’s five years of rule and forced him into exile in the south of the Central Asian country.

Bakiyev on Sunday told Reuters he did not order his guards to shoot, and called for an international commission to investigate.

But his brother, presidential bodyguard chief Dzhanibek Bakiyev, said on Sunday that he had ordered guards to shoot at armed protesters and towards the legs of people throwing stones.

“I gave the order to shoot at those with weapons,” Dzhanibek Bakiyev told RIA in an interview in Kyrgyzstan’s Jalalabad region, where the president is in hiding.

“I said over the radio that if anyone is approaching with weapons, to open fire in return,” he said.

“We tried not to shoot at those without weapons. When they went beyond the limit, when they started to throw stones and Molotov cocktails and threaten the lives of our staff, we opened fire towards their legs,” he said.

Witnesses said many protesters were shot dead by government forces. Other protesters, armed with weapons seized from Bakiyev’s security forces, fought back, and witnesses said some people may have been killed in the ensuing crossfire. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

For more stories on Kyrgyzstan, click on [ID:nLDE6360UW] ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

(Writing by Conor Humphries; Editing by Michael Roddy)

MOSCOW, April 11 (Reuters) – Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev’s security chief said on Sunday he and not the ousted leader ordered guards to shoot at protesters during clashes last week in which 81 were killed, Russian news agency RIA reported.

Government troops opened fire on a crowd of more than 5,000 protesters in the capital Bishkek in the clashes that ended Bakiyev’s five years of rule and forced him into exile in the south of the Central Asian country.

Bakiyev on Sunday told Reuters he did not order his guards to shoot, and called for an international commission to investigate.

But his brother, presidential bodyguard chief Dzhanibek Bakiyev, said on Sunday that he had ordered guards to shoot at armed protesters and towards the legs of people throwing stones.

“I gave the order to shoot at those with weapons,” Dzhanibek Bakiyev told RIA in an interview in Kyrgyzstan’s Jalalabad region, where the president is in hiding.

“I said over the radio that if anyone is approaching with weapons, to open fire in return,” he said.

“We tried not to shoot at those without weapons. When they went beyond the limit, when they started to throw stones and Molotov cocktails and threaten the lives of our staff, we opened fire towards their legs,” he said.

Witnesses said many protesters were shot dead by government forces. Other protesters, armed with weapons seized from Bakiyev’s security forces, fought back, and witnesses said some people may have been killed in the ensuing crossfire. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

For more stories on Kyrgyzstan, click on [ID:nLDE6360UW] ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

(Writing by Conor Humphries; Editing by Michael Roddy)