Tunisian police fired tear gas on Thursday to disperse protesters in Ettadhamen, a working-class suburb of the capital Tunis, Reuters reported, as clashes also broke out in two southern towns on a day of heightened tension across the country.

The Ettadhamen protest followed the death of a man who had been detained on suspicion of drug dealing. His family said he died as a result of violence by police officers after his arrest and called for those responsible to be held accountable, Reuters reported. Local media reported that he died after swallowing drugs. The interior ministry was not immediately available for comment, Reuters said — the cause of death has not been established.

Earlier on Thursday, police clashed with protesters in Jebeniana, in the Sfax governorate, following the death of a man who his relatives say died during a security chase. Tunisian media reports cited by Al Jazeera said protesters there set a vehicle on fire and burned tyres, and police again used tear gas. The nearby town of Agareb, also in Sfax governorate, saw similar clashes.

In the city of Sfax itself, students protested on Thursday over the death of a female student who suffered a cardiac problem. Her colleagues said ambulance personnel took too long to arrive, citing a lack of medical facilities, and called for a strike at Sfax's faculties on Friday, Reuters reported.

A crisis building for weeks

Reuters said the clashes coincided with a deepening economic, social and political crisis in Tunisia, heightening fears of a wider wave of violent protests as anger grows over deteriorating living conditions and poor public services.

Thousands of Tunisians joined the largest protest against President Kais Saied in years in the capital on Saturday, October 17, accusing him of undermining democracy and mishandling the economy — a growing challenge to his rule, Reuters reported.