Please read our previous, post, here, for background information to this post.
The military continue their offensive in Tivoli Gardens.
They are searching house-to-house, for gunmen.
We understand that the police have not entered Tivoli,it is solely a military effort.
There is limited information from the military operation coming into the news media...this is normal in war situations, but the news media seem to be worried that the right information is not getting out to citizens.
...Instead there are a lot of unsubstantiated reports coming from so-called Tivoli residents.
Unfortunately some looting has occurred of Downtown businesses - mostly wholesales.
Most businesses with branches in Downtown Kingston have closed those branches for today.
Other businesses, with branches outside of Downtown Kingston, but within the Corporate Area, will be open for limited hours today.
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Early this morning, there was gunfire in Almond Town.
East Street and East Queens Street were blocked...these roadblocks have now been removed, however.
The violence, we understand, has now spread to Spanish Town, St. Catherine (a neighboring parish to Kingston and St.Andrew):
Five (5) persons were shot at at the Spanish Town bypass, two (2) persons were killed on Claudette's Road. Two (2) houses were on fire on March Pen Road.
The bus company - the Jamaican Urban Transportation Company (JUTC), resumed limited service today:
Bull Bay and Harbor View routes are now restricted to Elletson Road. Route #6 is not operational.
Routes usually running on Spanish Town Road are being channelled via Three Miles, into Half-Way-Tree.
Air Jamaica has also cancelled/postponed a few flights. Please call 1-888-FLY-AIRJA for more information.
Gillian
Sources Include
1) Nationwide Radio, May 25, 2010