Clashes between Thai troops and anti-government protesters have claimed 16 lives and left dozens wounded in two days of fighting that has turned the heart of the capital into a war zone, official sources said on Saturday.

The government Thursday launched an offensive against the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) to force them from their protest site at Ratchaprasong Road, Bangkok's upmarket commercial district. It escalated into bloody street battles to secure all access points to the area Friday.