CENTRAL Bangkok became a flaming battleground yesterday as an army assault forced anti-government protest leaders to surrender, enraging followers who shot grenades and set fire to landmark buildings, cloaking the skyline in black smoke.

Central Bangkok became a flaming battleground today as an army assault forced anti-government protest leaders to surrender, enraging followers who shot grenades and set fire to landmark buildings, cloaking the skyline in black smoke.

Central Bangkok became a battleground today as the army stormed a barricaded protest camp and the Red Shirt leadership surrendered, enraging demonstrators who fired grenades and started fires that cloaked the skyline in a black haze.

THE Thai government rejected a proposal yesterday for peace talks with leaders of the Red Shirt protesters to end the deadly mayhem gripping Bangkok, saying negotiations cannot start until the demonstrators disperse.

DWINDLING hordes of protesters fanned across Bangkok yesterday, hurling blood at the prime minister’s residence and crowding outside Western embassies in a long-odds bid to force snap elections.