October 16, 2003 - 23:36 AMT
DISORDERS AND COLLISIONS CONTINUE IN BAKU
Disorders and collisions between opposition, which yesterday lost the election, and the forces of law and order today resumed with a renewed force in the center of Baku. This happened while the OSCE and PACE observers were summing up the election results at a press conference. A crowd consisting of thousands of supporters of the main opposition force - "Musavat" party - shouting "Allah akbar" and armed with sticks, pieces of metallic armature and stones - attacked police busses and public transport. The law-enforcement bodies had to use tear-gas and blank cartridges. According to preliminary information, there are victims of the incident. "ITAR-TASS" correspondents witnessed how a lorry, captured by supporters of "Musavat" party, was directed to the policemen, injuring many of them, as well as badly wounding. The ministry of internal affairs of the republic does not confirm the death of its officers, however admitting some of them are injured, and that there are those with heavy wounds, too. There are also victims from the side of the opposition. Their precise number still cannot be determined. At present the police on the whole keeps the control of the situation in the center of Baku.