Supporters of the former president of the Maldives have attacked some police stations and rioted in the streets of the capital, Male, to demand his reinstatement.
Former leader Mohamed Nasheed resigned on February 7 and later said he was forced out at gunpoint.
On February 8, the new interim president -- former vice president Mohammed Waheed Hassan -- denied claims there was a coup and called for calm.
Supporters of Nasheed reportedly seized up to 10 police stations on outlying islands. The Maldives, the smallest country in Asia with a population of around 400,000, is made up of nearly 1,200 coral islands, some with only a few hundred residents.
Hundreds of thousands of tourists come to the Maldives each year to visit the nation's scenic sandy beaches.
Compiled from agency reports