2005 Andijan Uprisings

In the 2005 Andijon Uprisings, members of Akromiya raided a police station, killing several guards and taking a large quantity of military equipment. Not long afterwards Akromiya raided a prison and freed more than 500 prisoners, including several imprisoned Islamists. The militants then set fire to the city's main cinema, forcing patrons and nearby residents to run into the main city square. After civilians fleeing the burning building entered the square, Akromiya members took them as hostages, beating, torturing, and using them as literal human shields by tying them to the perimeter of the city square with wire. The militants filmed themselves throughout the event, showing that they were heavily armed, but were later seen putting down their weapons before fleeing to refugee camps in Kyrgyzstan.^[1][2]