Kyrgyz rally, urge arrest of local Uzbek leader

JALALABAD, Kyrgyzstan May 19 (Reuters) - An angry crowd of around 2,000 ethnic Kyrgyz marched on Wednesday to the centre of the southern town of Jalalabad -- scene of violent clashes last week -- to demand the arrest of a local Uzbek minority leader.

Several protesters told Reuters that Kadyrzhan Batyrov, the leader of Jalalabad region's Uzbeks, had angered the local Kyrgyz population by calling for the creation of an Uzbek autonomous district in southern Kyrgyzstan.

Last week Jalalabad saw two days of fierce clashes between supporters of ousted Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and backers of the country's interim government. At least two people were killed and dozens wounded in the turmoil. (Reporting by Hulkar Isamova; Writing by Dmitry Solovyov; Editing by Conor Humphries)