At least 10 people have been killed by religious extremists in a spate of shoot-outs in the western city of Aktobe in Kazakhstan.

Armed men coordinated attacks on two different weapons stores on Sunday. Spokesman for the Interior Ministry Almas Sadubayev said a civilian shop owner and a security guard were killed in the first gun shop, while a customer was shot dead in the second. The armed gang also hijacked a commuter bus and rammed the gates of military base in the city, killing three soldiers in the process.

Four of the gunmen were eventually killed by security forces and seven others arrested. The violent incident has triggered a major counter-terrorist operation in the city, with police clearing people from shopping malls and markets, while public transport was shut down.