At least three people were killed and many injured as government forces in Nicaragua launched an operation to regain control of the city of Masaya.
Residents say security forces and militias used disproportionate force to clear barricades on Tuesday.
The operation was launched a day after the collapse of talks between President Daniel Ortega's government and the opposition.
More than 180 people have died in two months of anti-government protests.
Residents in Masaya say militias loyal to Mr Ortega were responsible for most of the violence.
They arrived in the early hours of Monday on tractors and lorries to regain control of the city.
Young protesters used homemade mortars and slingshots to repel them, Reuters news agency reports.
A former stronghold of the Sandinista Revolution in the 1970s, Masaya has now become a symbol of opposition to the Ortega administration.
Read Full Article »