Witnesses said about 500 people demonstrated outside the building. Most eventually dispersed, leaving a few dozen, mainly women, who occupied it and shouted slogans demanding the return of Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who was toppled in a revolt on April 7.

Tthe government building remained occupied by locals but the overall situation was calm in the city at the heart of Bakiyev's tribal stronghold in the south.

The crowd in Jalalabad hurled stones at Bolotbek Sherniyazov, the interim interior minister, after he arrived in the city to lead a security operation to arrest a number of Bakiyev loyalists. He was whisked away unscathed.

The interim government, which came to power after Bakiyev's overthrow, said its forces were fully in control of all regions. "The interim government is carefully watching the situation in Jalalabad," said Edil Baisalov, the interim chief of staff. "We will refrain from using force. ... The situation will calm down after a while."

Reuters