Thousands of armed protesters on Friday turned the eastern Uzbek city of Andijan into chaos, setting free prisoners from a prison and clashing with security forces, the Russian ITAR-TASS news agency reported.

Nine people were killed and 34 wounded in the clashes, said the presidential press service in a statement.

Some key buildings, including the regional and city administration buildings, were occupied by the protesters, local Centrasia.ru internet site reported, citing its local correspondent in Andijan.

Kazakhstan has closed its border with Uzbekistan.

President Islam Abduganiyevich Karimov and several other senior officials were in Andijan, the president's office said.

The protesters had gathered outside the local court on Wednesday, demanding the release of 23 men on trial for allegedly conducting anti-constitutional activity and forming a criminal and extremist organization.

All of the defendants pleaded not guilty at the trial that opened in February.

In a separate development, a suspected suicide bomber was shot dead by security officers posted at the Israeli Embassy in Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan.

Source: Xinhua