Thirty-one people, 28 of them civilians and three members of the security forces, have been killed in Jamaica during clashes violence triggered by government moves to extradite an alleged drug lord to the US.
Police Director of Communications Karl Angell said the deaths had occurred in the Tivoli Gardens slum of West Kingston where heavily-armed police are hunting Christopher "Dudus" Coke.
The unrest was triggered after Jamaican authorities attempted to arrest Mr Coke, acting upon a US extradition warrant. He is wanted on charges before the New York courts that he masterminded a drugs trade between Jamaica and North America.
Mr Coke insists he is a legitimate businessman and enjoys strong support of many impoverished Kingston residents who see him as a benefactor and have vowed to protect.
In response to the attempted arrest suspected gangland supporters of Mr Coke shot up or set fire to five police stations and staged carjackings and looting sprees in downtown Kingston on Sunday.
Since then masked gunmen have swarmed around West Kingston trying to prevent the extradition. The US Justice Department considers him one of the world’s most dangerous drug lords.
The government has declared a limited state of emergency in West Kingston and one other district in response to the violence, as Jamaican prime minister Bruce Golding vowed "strong and decisive action" to restore order.
Some fear his removal will destabilise the area. Mr Coke is often referred to as "president" in Tivoli – an indication of the extent of his power locally. Although police are unable to operate freely there, the area enjoys considerable security, attributed to his leadership.
The ruling Jamaican Labour Party is also prominently represented in the neighbourhood, where political and gang networks are intimately intertwined. Under a relationship known as garrison politics, political parties shore up votes by partnering with gangsters and using coercion and physical intimidation.
Mr Golding initially resisted the extradition, arguing evidence gathered against Mr Coke by wire-tapping had been wrongly obtained by the US authorities.
Mr Golding eventually capitulated in the face of intense lobbying by Washington.
Agencies