A deadly clash in C.A.R.

A man who was shot during the incident lies on the ground, as another runs for cover.

A spokesman for the rebels told Reuters that troops opened fire on a crowd of protesters, killing three civilians and wounding at least six.

A French military official denied that troops killed civilians and said they fired warning shots in the air after coming under fire in Bambari, the headquarters of the mostly-Muslim rebel Seleka coalition, which controls the northeast of the country.

The clashes occurred after peacekeeping troops had demanded that members of the Seleka hand over weapons.

In protest, crowds of civilians carrying machetes and hunting rifles took to the streets the following morning and blocked roads in the centre of Bambari with market stalls and furniture.

The scene was just latest episode in a spiral of violence since Seleka rebels seized power in March last year and their attacks on the majority Christian population set off a wave of revenge attacks.

The coalition was forced to relinquish power under international pressure in January. Since then, Christian militias known as "anti-balaka" have mounted widespread attacks on Muslims.

In the image above, men stand facing French soldiers as they block a road during the protest.

With tension running high, Muslims in Bambari are unwilling to disarm after similar moves in the capital Bangui led to attacks on Muslims there.

The violence that has gripped the country for over a year has killed more than 2,000 and driven a million from their homes, despite the presence of several thousand African peacekeepers and European Union and French troops.