BEIJING. Chinese security forces shot and killed a young Tibetan man in Sichuan province on Friday, Tibetan campaign groups say, at least the third such killing in a week.

Police and troops opened fire when a crowd gathered to protect another man being sought for distributing leaflets in Aba prefecture, the Free Tibet group said. Chinese officials confirmed that two Tibetans were killed earlier in Sichuan, where tensions have been rising since a young monk died after setting himself on fire last March, leading to at least 15 more self-immolations by Tibetan monks and nuns.