Police and protesters clash in Tunisian capital

Demonstrators have clashed with Tunisian police as days of peaceful protests, demanding a purge of those loyal to the former regime, descended into violence.

Clashes broke out near government offices in the old city of Tunis, where riot police fired tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators who threw stones.

Tunisia's interim government, which may shortly be reshuffled, has struggled to assert itself in the face of protesters' demands to sack the remaining allies of president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, who fled the country on January 14.

The latest protests appear to be Tunisians from the rural regions of the country's deprived hinterland who have been camping out at the government compound.

They shouted at the security forces that they were "police of Leila," a reference to Ben Ali's unpopular wife, who was seen as having excessive influence and lavish tastes.

The toppling of Ben Ali after 23 years in power, following protests against poverty, corruption and political repression, has electrified Arabs across the Middle East and North Africa, where many countries face similar problems.