At least three people have been killed in clashes in Western Sahara, after Moroccan security forces broke up a protest camp in the disputed region.
The camp, for several thousand people near the territory's capital, Laayoune, was the biggest protest against Moroccan rule in the 35-year dispute.
Dozens of people were also injured in the violence, which later spread to the streets of Laayoune.
It came shortly before talks began in the US on the future of the territory.
The Gadaym Izik camp was set up about a month ago outside Laayoune as a protest by displaced Saharawi people about their living conditions. It was home to more than 12,000 people.
Witnesses said security forces entered the camp in the early hours of the morning, using helicopters and water cannon to force people to leave.
"Hundreds of women and children were seen outside the camp leading towards Laayoune but a certain number of Saharawi [local] men refused to go," one witness told the AFP news agency.
BBC News
