Zimbabwean police have fired shots and tear gas at senior opposition officials, including presidential candidate Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, after breaking up an election campaign meeting.
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Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of Zimbabwe's opposition MDC party
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The incident began when police fired tear gas at opposition supporters gathering south of Masvingo after declaring the meeting illegal.
No one was injured in the shooting.
Mr Tsvangirai and other Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leaders got into their vehicles and drove away, and police followed them.
When the motorcade stopped and opposition leaders left their cars to stretch their legs, police fired several bullets and tear gas at them, Mr Percy Makombe, an opposition spokesman said.
The leaders jumped back into their cars and drove off. Mr Tsvangirai's motorcade has been attacked at least twice in recent months, and he now routinely travels in an armour protected vehicle.
Mr Tsvangirai's candidacy presents the strongest challenge to President Robert Mugabe's 22 year rule. Human rights groups and the opposition have said months of violence and intimidation and restrictive new laws make the prospect of a free and fair election impossible.
Elsewhere, ruling party militants beat up two South African election observers at the MDC offices in Kwekwe and torched their car, Mr Makombe said. The observers had been visiting the offices when about 200 militants arrived to attack the building, he said.
AP