Tunisia forces fight presidential guards near palace

By Tarek Amara and Christian Lowe

TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisian special forces fought a heavy gun battle with members of the ousted president's security force on Sunday, a military source said, and the prime minister promised to announce a new coalition government on Monday.

Fighting erupted near the presidential palace in a Tunis suburb, the source told Reuters, following other gun battles in the capital two days after Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was ousted after more than 23 years as president.

Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi promised rapid action to fill the power vacuum. "Tomorrow we will announce the new government which will open a new page in the history of Tunisia," he said in a brief statement.

Three opposition leaders would take posts in the new coalition, two sources close to negotiations on building the new government told Reuters. However, the interior and foreign ministers in the old administration would keep their jobs.

The military source, who did not want to be identified, said people loyal to the arrested head of Ben Ali's security force had opened fire as they passed near the front of the palace.

"Special military groups came out (from the palace) to pursue them and they started to exchange fire," the source said.

Two witnesses who live near the palace, in the Carthage area several km (miles) from the centre of Tunis, told Reuters by telephone they could hear heavy gunfire.

"There is firing from around the presidential palace, intensive and continuous," said one woman. "It is a very loud noise. I think it is something more than just bullets."