Ivory Coast troops fire on Alassane Ouattara supporters
Supporters of Alassane Ouattara had planned to march on the offices of state TV, which has praised Laurent Gbagbo
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At least seven people have died in Ivory Coast after clashes between soldiers and supporters of Alassane Ouattara - one of two men claiming to be president of the country.
In the main city of Abidjan, soldiers fired on crowds, and gun battles broke out near the hotel where Mr Ouattara has stayed since disputed elections.
The army also battled former rebels further north in the country.
The military is loyal to Mr Ouattara's rival Laurent Gbagbo.
But former rebel group the New Forces (FN) controls the north of the country, and is loyal to Mr Ouattara.
Both men claim to have won the election, and each has declared himself president.
The UN, which backs Mr Ouattara's claim, has urged calm.
Shooting 'all over' But on Thursday afternoon, the violence appeared to be spreading, with reports emerging of unrest away from Abidjan.
New Forces fighters apparently tried to storm positions held by the military near the town of Tiebissou, just south of the ceasefire line agreed in 2003 to end the country's year-long civil war.
Continue reading the main story Rival Presidents
Laurent Gbagbo (left): 65-year-old former history teacher, southern Christian; president since 2000; backed by security forces
Alassane Ouattara (right): 68-year-old economist, northern Muslim; prime minister 1990-1993; backed by former rebels, UN, African leaders and the West
The sides exchanged fire and civilians fled the town, according to reports, but there were no confirmed casualties.
Meanwhile in Abidjan, soldiers and police were standing guard at almost every major road junction.
Violence broke out in several parts of the city as security forces tried to prevent crowds from gathering.
Mr Ouattara's supporters had planned to take over state media channel Radio Television Ivorienne (RTI), which has been broadcasting reports praising Mr Gbagbo since the disputed election.
But early on Thursday, they clashed with security forces, who opened fire on the crowds.
Separately, in the south of the city, gun battles erupted between soldiers who control the area and former rebels who are guarding the Golf Hotel, where Mr Ouattara has been based since the election.
"There is shooting all over the place, there is artillery, there are explosions," a witness told Reuters news agency.
Mr Ouattara's supporters, including his nominated prime minister Guillaume Soro, were trying to leave the hotel compound and march to the TV station when fighting broke out.
Kandia Camara, a spokesman for Mr Ouattara, told the BBC that they were coming under attack.
US officials said the US embassy, which is near the Golf Hotel, had been hit by an "errant rocket-propelled grenade" during the battle, but no-one was injured.
At least seven people were confirmed dead across the city in violence related to the dispute. Demonstrators and activists said many more had died.
Earlier in the day, international prosecutors said they would bring legal proceedings against anyone accused of causing deaths.
And UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman warned that "those who incite or perpetrate violence, and those who use the media for that purpose... will be held accountable for their actions".
He reiterated that the UN, which has about 10,000 peacekeepers in the country and is helping to guard the Golf Hotel, wanted Mr Gbagbo to stand down.
The trouble stems from last month's run-off election, which the Electoral Commission said Mr Ouattara won by 54.1% to 45.9%.
Mr Gbagbo refused to admit defeat, and the Constitutional Council then annulled some results from the north and declared Mr Gbagbo the winner.
