TUNIS, Tunisia — At least 11 people have died in clashes with security forces in new rioting in the North African country where unrest is in its fourth week, union officials said Sunday.
The Interior Ministry, meanwhile, said eight people were killed over the weekend in the western towns of Thala, and Kasserine.
Rioting to protest joblessness and other social ills has scarred numerous cities across the tiny country since Dec. 17, after a 26-year-old man with a university degree set himself on fire when police confiscated his fruits and vegetables for selling without a permit.
Mobs have since attacked public buildings and an office of the party of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
Ben Ali had appeared at the bedside of the dying vegetable seller, but has made no statement on the riots.
The man died last week at a hospital outside the capital, Tunis.
Union official Belgacem Saihi said that up to five people had died in Thala rioting Saturday night.
In Kasserine, seat of the region where Thala is located, union official Amor Mhamdi said at least three people were shot to death Saturday night as protesters attacked public buildings, the ruling party office and burned cars.
Kamel Laabidi, a union official in Regueb, said three people were killed there.
Regueb is near Sidi Bouzaid, the central-western town where the 26-year-old self-immolated.
The longtime chief of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party called on the Tunisian leader to urgently “order an immediate ceasefire ... to spare the lives of innocent citizens and respect their right to peacefully demonstrate.”
Nejib Chebbi claimed that at least 20 people were killed in Thala and Kasserine, citing party representatives in the region.
It was impossible to independently verify the casualty claims made by union officials or the opposition leader.
In neighboring Algeria, meanwhile, three people died over four days of rioting, the Interior Ministry there said this weekend.
Algerian youths took to streets to protest rising prices of staples such as sugar and cooking oil.
The Algerian government announced Saturday that it was slashing taxes on those products by 41 percent.
Calm appeared to prevail Sunday.
Information for this article was contributed from Algiers by Aomar Ouali of The Associated Press.
Front Section, Pages 4 on 01/10/2011