Protesters killed and injured as Honduran soldiers, Zelaya supporters clash

2009-07-08 06:06:32 GMT2009-07-08 14:06:32 (Beijing Time) Xinhua English

BEIJING, July 7 -- Protestors were killed and several others injured on Sunday, when army troops clashed with supporters of Honduras' deposed President Manuel Zelaya at the Honduras airport.

One young Zelaya supporter died after being shot in the head. Protesters said a teenage girl was also killed. A police source said clashes took place when demonstrators tried to access the airport landing strips.

The plane carrying Zelaya circled above the Honduras airport, unable to land as the runway was blocked by soldiers with military vehicles.

Zelaya was forced to land in neighboring Nicaragua and vowed to try again Monday or Tuesday to return to the country.

Zelaya's supporters took to the streets around the airport in the early morning. Witnesses said up to 30,000 people appeared around the airport. Zelaya said on Saturday he would fly to Honduras accompanied by officials from the Organization of American States (OAS) and the presidents of Argentina and Paraguay.

Demonstrations both for and against Zelaya have filled the streets of Honduras' main cities since last Sunday, when he was ousted in a military coup.

Honduras was expelled from the OAS on Saturday after the post-coup government failed to comply with a deadline to restore Zelaya.

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