Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said Friday there would be no negotiations with protesters after days of unrest, vowing to destroy "armed bandits" who had attacked the country.

"Terrorists continue to damage property... and use weapons against civilians. I have given the order to law enforcement to shoot to kill without warning," Tokayev said in his third televised address to the nation this week.

"Calls are being made abroad for the parties to negotiate a peaceful solution. What nonsense. What kind of negotiations can there be with criminals, with murderers? We are dealing with armed and trained bandits... so they must be destroyed. This will be done shortly," he said. 

Tokayev said Kazakhstan's main city Almaty had been attacked by "20,000 bandits" with a "clear plan of attack, coordination of actions and high combat readiness."

He thanked the leaders of Russia, China and Turkey for their support, with "special thanks" to Russian President Vladimir Putin for sending troops as part of a Moscow-led force to help quell the unrest.