ALMATY: Kazakhstan authorities have detained Karim Massimov, the former head of the national security committee, and some other officials on suspicion of treason, the security committee said on Saturday without providing further details.

Security forces appeared to have reclaimed the streets of Kazakhstan's main city on Friday after days of violence, and the Russian-backed president said he had ordered his troops to shoot to kill to put down a countrywide uprising.

Kazakh president gives shoot-to-kill order to quell protests