Two people were killed in Oman when security forces fired at protesters calling for political reforms, medical sources said Sunday.
Since Saturday, some 2,000 people have taken to the streets in the industrial city of Sohar - located about 250 kilometres north of the capital Muscat - to demonstrate, dpa reported.
Witnesses said on Sunday that police used tear gas in a bid to disperse the gathering before firing at protesters, leaving two people dead.
The official Oman News Agency said the protesters "were involved in riots" and that they destroyed some properties, "set fire to a police station and attacked a number of parliament members."
The report said police fought the "vandal group" to maintain safety, resulting "in some injuries." It did not mention any deaths.
Last week, hundreds of people had protested peacefully in Oman, calling for greater freedoms and more power for the elected parliament. They also asked for better salaries and social security.
The Oman News Agency said the government had studied their demands, without elaborating.
The sultanate, located on the south-east coast of the Arabian Peninsula, has a population of just under 3 million, of which a little more than half are Omani citizens. It is ruled by Qaboos bin Said Al Said, who has inherited the post.
The Oman protests are the latest in a wave sweeping across the Arab world and Middle East, from Tunisia to Egypt, Libya and Yemen.
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