Police stormed past protesters to recapture administrative buildings in southern Kyrgyzstan on Sunday, after a two-day standoff with opposition activists demanding the president's resignation. Police said they had detained some activists and denied opposition allegations that they used weapons and excessive force to regain the two buildings in Osh, the ex-Soviet Central Asian state's second city, and Dzhalal Abad. Other regions, including the capital Bishkek, have also seen opposition protests, with some demonstrators electing "people's councils" after parliamentary polls left the opposition with a mere handful of seats. Vote monitors from the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe criticised the poll, held in two rounds in February and March — pointing to vote buying, disqualification of opposition candidates and media manipulation. "Yes, the police have taken the building. Force was used against some people, if they showed resistance," said a spokesman for Osh region's police, in comments echoed by his colleagues in Dzhalal Abad. "The building was fully freed by morning. The organisers of the illegal demonstrations were detained, and we have detained 15 people for hooliganism," said Omurbek Egemberdiyev, head of the police in Dzhalal Abad region. "No weapons were used, and we caused no injuries. On the contrary, they threw stones and two policeman were injured, and sent to hospital."