Belarus police will now be permitted to use combat weapons in the streets if needed, the Interior Ministry said, as security forces again clashed with protesters who want Alexander Lukashenko to quit after election.

The protesters chanted in a tense standoff with security forces personnel wearing balaclavas who responded with flare guns and an unidentified spray, according to video clips circulating on social media. The sound of a blast could be heard as plumes of grey smoke filled the air at the scene. There were no immediate reports of injuries or arrests.

A spokesman for the Interior Ministry later confirmed that police had used flare guns and tear gas to disperse an unauthorised rally.

“The protests, which have shifted largely to Minsk, have become organized and extremely radical. In this regard, the Interior Ministry’s employees and internal troops will not leave the streets and, if necessary, will use special equipment and military weapons”, - reads the statement of the Ministry.