Jamaican PM regrets loss of life

Battle to capture drug lord:

JAMAICA: Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding on Tuesday regretted the loss of life in violence triggered by a bid to capture an alleged drug lord, and vowed to restore law and order in the Caribbean nation.

“The Government deeply regrets the loss of lives of members of the security forces, and those of innocent law abiding citizens who were caught in the cross fire,” Golding told the House of Representatives.

Hospital sources told AFP more than 60 bodies had so far been unloaded Tuesday at a morgue in one of Kingston’s main hospitals after security forces Monday stormed the stronghold of the wanted alleged drug kingpin.

Golding said the operations to hunt down “illegal guns and persons who may be wanted by the police for criminal charges” would continue as the government seeks to extradite Christopher “Dudus” Coke to the United States to face trial.

The prime minister also vowed the security forces would “bring an end to this state of an lawlessness and to restore law and calm” amid reports that several homes had been torched.

He said he had instructed the Red Cross to “provide support including ambulances to transport those who have been injured or are otherwise in need of medical attention.”

The police has so far put the death toll at 26 civilians and one person from the security forces, and said there were 32 injured.

“Several persons have been confirmed dead, including one member of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF),” Golding said, adding the police report that 26 persons are confirmed dead, but it is likely that the number is higher.”

He pledged he was sending two top officials to the Tivoli Gardens estate to “conduct an independent assessment of the operations being carried out by the security forces.”

“They will also seek to find out the precise number of persons that were killed,” Golding said.

He added the security forces should “take all practical steps to avoid casualties as much as possible and to uphold the rights of citizens caught in the area of conflict.” KINGSTON, AFP