‘Three Evil Forces’ continue to lurk in shadows of riots, color revolutions in Central Asia: experts

A homebound Ilyushin Il-76 strategic airlifter carrying Russian peacekeepers on board takes off from Almaty International Airport. Photo: VCG

Terrorism, extremism, and separatism, known as the "Three Evil Forces" have long been an unstable factor in Central Asia. Traces of these forces are once again seen in the latest regional security failure in Kazakhstan. 

The large-scale riots in Kazakhstan started as demonstrations, but were soon taken advantage of by extremist and terrorist groups, and were gradually turned into riots.

Kazakh authorities linked the violent protest to extremist groups, saying that preliminary data shows the attackers include individuals who h