Shots fired at Fiji coup leader

A soldier on duty outside parliament, now sealed off

Fijian troops have fired shots at a car carrying rebel leader George Speight in the capital, Suva.

Mr Speight was said to be shaken but unhurt.

The shooting happened outside the parliament building, where Mr Speight and his supporters have been holding members of the government hostage since 19 May.

George Speight: His car failed to stop at checkpoint

The army said Mr Speight's vehicle and another car failed to stop at a military barricade.

The rebels were returning to the parliament compound after meeting some allies in Suva.

Warning shots were fired before the two vehicles were hit.

Correspondents say one of the cars was hit several times in its rear and in one tyre.

Spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Filipo Tarakinikini confirmed that 20 rounds had been fired by M16 machine guns.

He said it was a terrible mistake and the soldiers had ignored the rules of engagement.

'Assassination attempt'

He said the soldiers had not deliberately targeted the rebel leader and has apologised to Mr Speight.

Mr Speight's supporters accused the military of trying to kill him.

"We believe it was an assassination attempt by the military," Mr Speight's spokesman Jo Nata said.

After the incident, roads leading to the area were sealed off by Fiji's martial law authorities.

Mr Speight had previously left the parliament compound several times without incident since launching his coup attempt.

The military regime of Commodore Frank Bainimarama, which took control of Fiji 10 days into the crisis, has pledged not to try to use force to free the 31 hostages.

Mr Speight, in turn, has said he will not harm his hostages if the military does not attack the parliament compound.

March prevented

The military authorities on Monday prevented a planned march by relatives of the hostages - who include Mahendra Chaudhry, the country's first ethnic Indian prime minister.

Organiser Ben Padarath, the son of one of the captives, was taken to a police station before the protest could begin in the western town of Lautoka, more than 300km (180 miles) from Suva.

Joanna Bali prays for her husband's release

The march was abandoned after the army said it could not guarantee security for the protesters, and Mr Padarath was later released.

As well as families of the captives, it was to have included factory workers laid off as a result of a trade ban imposed by Australian trade unions, and schoolchildren still locked out of classes due to the crisis.

The organisers were intending to ignore a ban on public gatherings and hold a non-political, cross-cultural event to show Mr Speight that he did not speak for the silent majority of Fijians.

Mr Speight has demanded that the government resign and allow indigenous Fijians to rule.

Hostages 'in good health'

Earlier, Colonel Tarakinikini visited the hostages and reported that they were in good health.

Talks between Mr Speight's group and the country's military leaders broke down almost a week ago.

The Suva hostages are divided along racial lines, according to Colonel Tarakinikini, who said he had seen all 31.

"By all indications they were all in good health," he said.

He managed to speak to the 15 ethnic Indian captives, but not to the 16 native Fijians, who were holding a church service inside the main debating chamber, which has been their prison.

A delegation of foreign ministers from the Commonwealth is due to arrive in Fiji later this week.