At least 77 were wounded when hundreds of army soldiers and anti-government protesters clashed in Bangkok early Monday morning 14 hours after Thai PM declared a state of emergency in the capital city, Thai media said.
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Thai soldiers block a road near Government house in Bangkok, on April 13, 2009. Troops fired tear gas early Monday during an operation to disperse a group of several hundred protesters in Bangkok under a state of emergency, an army spokesman said.[Xinhua]
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The Nation quoted hospital reports as saying at least 77 people suffered injuries mainly from teargas, with five seriously injured.
At around 7:20 a.m., the government announced it was in control of the situation at Din Daeng, The Nation said on its website.
The report said Deputy PM's Secretary-General Panithan Wattanayakorn told a press conference Monday morning that some protesters had been arrested, and Army Spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd earlier said "similar operations will be carried out in other areas."
The clash occurred around 04:30 a.m. Monday (2100 GMT Sunday) when some 300 so-called red-shirted protesters used a seized bus to crash soldiers stationed at Din Daeng District in north Bangkok, Army spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd told TPBS.
Soldiers fired warning shots into the air and used teargas to disperse the protesters after failing to persuade the red shirts to stop, Sansern said.
Earlier the Health Department of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration announced a total injury number of 68.
Army Chief General Anupong Paojinda refused to comment on the incident, adding that he will learn more about it first.
At about 06:15 a.m. Monday (2315 GMT Sunday), ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra told the red-shirted protesters to continue fighting in a phone conversation with a core leader of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD).
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva declared on Sunday afternoon a state of emergency in Bangkok and some districts of five provinces nearby, citing the escalating violence of red-shirted protesters.
Soon after the declaration of the state of emergency, soldiers and armored carriers were deployed onto the Bangkok street.
Meanwhile, about 1,000 policemen, armed with tear gas, headed for the Government House after red-shirted protesters stormed state institutions and clashed with security forces during the day.
Abhisit appeared on TV around midnight Sunday to assure people that his government will enforce law to keep situation under control. He said soldiers and police have been deployed at many spots around Bangkok, and his government is ready to enforce measures step by step in the next two or three days to bring law and order back.
