Kyrgyzstan on edge of chaos after opposition storms government buildings

FILE PHOTO: Police officers are seen in clouds of tear gas as they disperse protesters during a rally against the result of a parliamentary election in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, October 5, 2020. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov

BISHKEK (Reuters) - Opposition groups took control of most of Kyrgyzstan's government apparatus on Tuesday after storming buildings during post-election protests, but the president clung to power as unrest risked tipping the Central Asian state into chaos.

Protests spread throughout the country, where two presidents have been overthrown in the past 15 years, halting some foreign gold mining operations and prompting an expression of concern from Russia, a longtime ally.