30 DEAD IN GUNBATTLES IN JAMAICAN CAPITAL
Baku, May 26 (AZERTAC). Authorities in Jamaica say gunbattles in the capital, Kingston, have left at least 30 people dead, as hundreds of troops and police search for an alleged drug kingpin wanted by the United States.
At least 25 people have been injured and 200 others taken into custody. The violence has been triggered by government moves to extradite Christopher "Dudus" Coke, the alleged leader of the "Shower Posse," named for the practice of showering rivals with bullets during the cocaine wars of the 1980s. Heavily armed security forces stormed the Tivoli Gardens slum of western Kingston Monday in an effort to locate Coke, who has not been found. Last week, Coke`s supporters barricaded the area to thwart his arrest.
The trouble has forced the closure of schools and businesses across the capital, and the government has appealed for blood donations for the wounded. A state of emergency is in effect for parts of Kingston. The United States has issued a travel alert to warn citizens against visiting the island nation.
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