CAR unrest kills six Chad peacekeepers in Bangui

French soldiers in the Gobongo area of Bangui

At least six peacekeepers from Chad have been killed in clashes in the Central African Republic, the African Union (AU) force there says.

It said they were attacked by a Christian militia known as anti-balaka in the capital Bangui on Wednesday.

At least a dozen civilians have also died since Wednesday, hospital officials say.

AU and French troops are battling to end a Christian-Muslim conflict that has engulfed CAR.

The AU has nearly 4,000 troops in CAR. France, the former colonial power, has also deployed 1,600 soldiers to help restore order.

Militias from the Christian and Muslim groups have been involved in attacks and counter-attacks since Michel Djotodia installed himself as the country's first Muslim ruler in March, ousting then-President Francois Bozize, who came from the majority Christian population.

Many Christians accuse the Chadian government of being allied to the Seleka rebel group which propelled Mr Djotodia to power, while Muslims allege that French forces are siding with Christian militia.

Tension high

The circumstances surrounding the death of the Chadians remain unclear.

AU spokesman Eloi Yao said: "Yesterday [Wednesday] the city was in total chaos and this chaos lasted until the end of the night. Today we are trying to understand what happened."

Heavy gunfire in Bangui had caused panic among civilians, who fled to the airport, which is protected by peacekeepers.

As fighting subsided, French troops went out on patrol.

French military spokesman Col Gilles Jaron said tension remained high in Bangui.

Two days of violence earlier this month left about 1,000 people dead, according to Amnesty International.