'700 dead' as troops try to put down protests

Sporadic shooting continued today in the Uzbek city of Andijan where security forces are reported to have killed as many as 500 protesters.

A human rights group claimed that 200 more people had died in the town of Pakhtabad, 18 miles away.

Witnesses say the worst unrest since Uzbekistan gained independence from the Soviet Union left 11 dead in a third town while residents went on the rampage in a fourth.

The authoritarian government of President Islam Karimov de n ies firing on protesters, but has restricted access to trouble spots.

The 500 people reported killed by troops in Andijan on Friday are said to have been Islamic militants and citizens protesting against dire economic conditions.

The city - Uzbekistan's fourth largest - remained tense today. Residents said troops were fighting militants in the suburb of Bogishonol.

In the border town of Teshiktosh, eight soldiers and three civilians were killed yesterday, witnesses said.

And in Korasuv, an estimated 5,000 people went on the rampage forcing authorities to reopen a bridge to Kyrgyzstan which has a stronger economy and more open politics.

The violence puts the US in a difficult position as it relies on the government for an air base and anti-terrorism support. It has called on both sides to work out their differences peacefully.