Violent clashes reach Tunisian capital - witnesses

TUNIS (Reuters) - Clashes broke out in a suburb of Tunis late on Tuesday, several witnesses told Reuters, the first time the Tunisian capital had been affected by a wave of violent unrest that officials say has killed 23 civilians.

The witnesses told Reuters by telephone from the working class Ettadamen neighbourhood that hundreds of youths were ransacking shops and had set fire to a bank while police chased after them with truncheons.

Reports of the clashes emerged minutes after Tunisia's government raised by another three the total death toll from the unrest, the worst in decades, but it dismissed estimates from human rights groups who put the count higher.

Until Tuesday evening there had been no reports of major new clashes after the army was deployed in the most restive towns, schools and universities were shut indefinitely and police with loudhailers ordered people in at least one town not to gather in the streets.

People taking part in the weeks of clashes say they want jobs and better living conditions, but the authorities said the protests were hijacked by a minority of violent extremists. They said the victims were killed when police fired in self-defence.

Tunisia has been bracing for international reaction to its handling of the protests but former colonial ally France, which still carries influence in the north African country, responded without apportioning blame for the deaths.

Communications Minister Samir Labidi told a news conference that the death toll from clashes in the past few days was 21 -- or three more than previously announced. Another two people were killed in clashes earlier in the unrest, which has now been continuing for almost a month. A further two committed suicide in acts of protest.

"All other figures given by television and agencies which talk about 40 or 50 (dead) are totally false," Labidi said.

"Religious extremist movements and extremist movements from the left have infiltrated these protests and pushed for violence," he said.

Addressing the grievances of some of those involved in the clashes, he said: "Our response to the demands of the young people is economic and social reforms and more opening up towards liberty."

The main focus of the protests has been bread-and-butter issues but some of those taking part have directed criticism at President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, especially on social media such as Twitter and Facebook.

In one of the most vivid examples, a song by a 22-year-old rapper entitled "Mr President, your people are dying," was widely circulated online. The rapper, Hamada Ben-Amor, was detained and released three days later, his brother said.

Ben Ali, facing the worst unrest of his 23-year rule, said on Monday the rioting was a "terrorist act," orchestrated by foreign forces trying to damage Tunisia. He also promised to create 300,000 jobs before the end of 2012.

(Additional reporting by Jean-Baptiste Vey in Paris; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)