Two more police officers in New Caledonia have suffered gun shot wounds in renewed clashes near Noumea with scores of Kanak youth opposed to the nearby Vale nickel plant.
About 150 riot police with armoured vehicles have been trying to reopen a key road south of Noumea which was first blocked on Saturday when the unrest started.
The Vale plant has been shut for three weeks after a further acid spill, which has prompted calls for the six-billion US dollar plant to be closed for good.
About 15 people are reported to have been arrested after driving a van into a police car.
At the weekend, an unidentified group caused an estimated 20 million US dollars in damage by vandalising Vale offices and wrecking cars and trucks over the weekend.
The nickel company has said the plant's closure is out of question.
