NAZRAN (Russia), Jan 26: Security forces fired in the air and beat stone-throwing protestors on Saturday to disperse a banned anti-government rally in Russia’s largely Muslim province of Ingushetia.

Automatic rifle fire erupted as police and paramilitary forces chased protestors through the centre of Ingushetia's biggest town, Nazran, near Chechnya in the Caucasus mountains of southern Russia.

There were no immediate reports of serious casualties, indicating that the shooting was in the air.

Smoke and flames poured from the offices of the state newspaper Serdalo and at Ingushetia’s main hotel Assa. It was not clear who started the fires.

A local state television employee said that a mob had attempted to torch the television offices, but had been beaten back.

The approximately three hours of violence broke out after about 500 demonstrators ignored warnings and a heavy security presence to rally on Nazran’s central square against corruption and human rights abuses.

They carried placards calling for the resignation of the province’s widely unpopular president, Murat Zyazikov.

Hundreds of police, including special forces wearing helmets and black masks, beat the protestors off the square and pursued them in side streets.

Demonstrators fought back with stones and bottles, including one filled with burning petrol. “Why are you attacking us? We are brothers!” protestors shouted to the police, who were also apparently local ethnic-Ingush.

Hundreds of special forces, police, and regular troops, as well as two armoured fighting vehicles, could be seen deployed. A military helicopter circled over the town.

Half a dozen Russian journalists were detained while attempting to cover the incident, reported Echo of Moscow radio, two of whose reporters were among those taken to a police station.

Two members of the human rights organisation Memorial were also detained while attempting to monitor the rally, Echo of Moscow reported.—AFP