Guinea soldiers shot dead a police officer and wounded several people including an eight-year-old boy Monday in clashes during protests against fuel prices around the capital, sources said.

`The police officer, a new recruit, was watching the clashes between authorities and protesters when he was hit by a bullet in the chest fired by soldiers,` said a police source, who asked to remain anonymous.

The officer, who was not on duty for the protests and dressed in civilian clothes, died immediately in the incident in the Enco5 neighbourhood, the source said. Other witnesses confirmed the incident to AFP.

In Cosa, another district, a police officer seriously wounded an eight-year-old when he opened fire on a group of young people, the boy`s family said.

Among those wounded were five civilians hit by gunfire who were being treated in hospital, including a seriously injured woman, said the police.

Hundreds of young people joined Monday morning`s protests in several districts of the city to protest against what they judged was an `insignificant` cut in the price of petrol on Friday.

Armed with clubs, protesters erected barricades of burning tyres and ransacked a police station in the Cosa neighbourhood.

Elsewhere in the city, clashes between protestors and the security forces left at least 23 injured, including six police officers, while dozens of people were arrested.

The Donka University hospital centre, Conakry`s main hospital, treated at least 13 people.

A number of security force members were also hurt in clashes with protesters, mostly by thrown rocks, police said.

Monday`s death was the third in four days of violent protests.

On Saturday, soldiers shot and killed a 25-year-old man in the town of Boke as he tried to block a key mining rail link, said residents.

That incident happened as President Lansana Conte made a surprise visit to the town following protests the day before by locals angry at CBG bauxite company for failing to improve their living conditions.

It was on Friday that a child died after being hit with furniture thrown from a house that was being looted, police told AFP.