Thailand's bitter political crisis intensified Tuesday as five people were killed in clashes between anti-government protesters and police, and the country's anti-corruption commission filed charges against the Prime Minister.
The violence erupted in the heart of Bangkok after months of protests against Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra that have deepened political divisions in the Southeast Asian nation.
A police officer died after he was shot in the head, and four other people -- at least two of them protesters -- were also killed, officials said.
Seventy-three people, both police officers and protesters, were wounded in the clashes Tuesday, according to the Erawan Emergency Center, a medical unit monitoring the unrest in Thailand.
Police were trying to clear demonstrators, who have been campaigning against Yingluck for months in central Bangkok.
After police fired tear gas in an attempt to disperse crowds of demonstrators in the streets, people among the protesters began firing guns at police.
With the two sides about 200 meters (656 feet) apart, police responded by firing rubber bullets and live ammunition.
During the firefight, which lasted about 20 minutes, a grenade exploded near a group of police officers, knocking them to the ground. At least four of them were wounded, said Lt. Gen. Paradon Patthanathabut, the national security chief.
Thousands of protesters
About 6,000 demonstrators were estim.