Madagascar's presidency said on Sunday that "an attempted illegal and forcible seizure of power" was underway in the African nation, without providing details, a day after some soldiers joined a protest movement that had begun last month.

Reuters reported that Troops from the elite CAPSAT unit that helped President Andry Rajoelina seize power in a 2009 coup urged fellow soldiers to disobey orders and back the youth-led protests, which began on September 25.

A Reuters witness saw three people injured after shots were fired along a road to the CAPSAT barracks on Sunday. Other witnesses said there was no sign of ongoing clashes.

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The protests began over water and electricity shortages but have since escalated, with demonstrators calling for Rajoelina to step down, apologise for violence against protesters, and dissolve the Senate and electoral commission.

At least 22 people have been killed and 100 injured in the unrest since September, according to the United Nations. The Malagasy government has disputed the figures, with Rajoelina saying this month that 12 people were killed in the protests.

In a statement on the presidency's official social media account, Rajoelina's office said he firmly condemned attempts to destabilise the country and urged all forces "to stand together in defense of constitutional order and national sovereignty." It encouraged dialogue to resolve the crisis.

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