Security Headquarters in Egypt's Port Said in Flames

The main security building in Egypt's Port Said was in flames on Monday, as fresh fighting erupted between police and protesters in the restive canal city, an Agence France Presse correspondent said.

The blaze, which started in the ground floor of the security headquarters, sent plumes of smoke into the air while clashes continued in the streets surrounding the building.

Rescue services could not reach the area, witnesses said, as anger mounted in the city where a campaign of civil disobedience entered its third week.

The unrest, fueled by January death sentences handed down to football fans over deadly riots, boiled over again overnight when clashes left six people -- including three policemen-- dead.

The interior ministry said in a statement that unknown assailants had randomly attacked police and army personnel in the city "with the aim creating sedition and divisions" between both, after unconfirmed reports that the army had fired on policemen.

It urged residents of Port Said "to stay away from groupings near government buildings."