ALMATY, Jan. 8 (CGTN) -- Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Saturday that there will be no talks with the terrorists as the country gripped by mass protests in the first week of January, which he said was an armed act of aggression well prepared and coordinated by perpetrators and terrorist groups trained outside the country.

"In my basic view: no talks with the terrorists, we must kill them," the president vowed in a fresh slew of tweets on early Saturday, while condemning the terrorist-like acts in the country.

"Gangsters and terrorists very well trained, organized and commanded by the special centre. Some of them were speaking non-Kazakh languages. There were at least six waves of attacks of terrorists at Almaty, total amount of them 20 thousand," he continued.

Mass protests in the central Asian country were sparked by rising fuel prices earlier this month, started in the cities of Zhanaozen and Aktau and later spread countrywide.

Multiple deaths from both protesters and police officers were reported over the past days and thousands were injured.

Economic loss has mounted to more than $200.4 million, media report said on Saturday.

Counter-terrorism operation continues

Tokayev said counter-terrorist operation continues and he has ordered to launch a counter-terrorist operation to eliminate the national security threat.

He had appealed to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) for help and peacekeeping forces from the organization's member state Russia were deployed on Thursday for assistance.

The president said the peacekeeping force will remain for the short period of time until the stabilization of the situation in Kazakhstan.

More than 4,200 people, including at least 100 foreign nationals, were detained by law enforcement in Kazakhstan, the country's interior ministry said on Saturday.