DHAKA: Troops have been deployed in the Thai capital Bangkok to support riot police shielding official buildings from anti-government protesters.

Witnesses said tear gas had been fired as protesters tried to breach barricades outside Government House.

Activists have threatened to enter key government buildings, including the headquarters of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, reports BBC.

Sunday is the eighth day of protests aiming to unseat Ms Yingluck.

Two people were killed and dozens more wounded on Saturday as pro- and anti-government groups clashed.

The demonstrators` Civil Movement for Democracy has announced an all-out assault on the heart of the government, with the aim of replacing it with a "People`s Council".

Protesters claim Ms Yingluck`s administration is really controlled by her brother, exiled ex-leader Thaksin Shinawatra.

The BBC`s Jonah Fisher in Bangkok say anti-government activists have entered several TV stations and are apparently negotiating to take control of programming. He says the situation increasingly feels like an attempted coup.

The Bangkok Post reported that a group of anti-government protesters had taken control of the Thai PBS television station.

They told PBS officials to televise speeches made by the protest leaders, the report said.

Police drove back another set of demonstrators at the police headquarters.

Ms Yingluck had earlier said the government would use minimum force to hold back the protesters.

Early on Sunday, pro-government "red shirt" leaders said they were ending their mass rally at a Bangkok stadium to allow security forces to police rival demonstrations.

On Saturday, what had been largely peaceful protests turned violent when students attacked vehicles bringing pro-government activists to the stadium.

Shots were fired, but it is not clear yet by whom.

Police reinforcements were sent in and roads blocked, but skirmishes continued for several hours.

Police then called for military backup.

There is a high risk of greater violence if more supporters of Ms Yingluck - whose party enjoys strong backing outside Bangkok - try to come to the capital, our correspondent adds.

On Friday Ms Yingluck ruled out early elections, telling the BBC that the country was not calm enough for polls.

She repeated her call for negotiations to resolve the crisis.

In the past week, demonstrators have surrounded official buildings, forced their way into the army headquarters compound, cut electricity to the national police headquarters and forced the evacuation of Thailand`s top crime-fighting agency.

Ms Yingluck has invoked special powers allowing curfews and road closures. Police have also ordered the arrest of protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban - but so far no move has been made to detain him.

Thailand is facing its largest protests since 2010, when thousands of red-shirt Thaksin supporters occupied key parts of the capital. More than 90 people, mostly civilian protesters, died over the course of the two-month sit-in.

BDST: 1232 HRS, DEC 01, 2013