Travelers warned on Jamaica crisis

May 25 - AT least 27 people, almost all civilians, have died in gun battles in Jamaica as the hunt continues for a suspected drug lord. Troops and police had stormed the stronghold of Christopher "Dudus" Coke in the Tivoli Gardens district of the capital Kingston.
A state of emergency has been in place in parts of Kingston since Friday, when several police stations were attacked. A decision to extradite Coke, 41, to the US had angered his supporters.
Coke, who insists he is a legitimate businessman, enjoys the support of many impoverished Kingston residents who see him as a benefactor and have vowed to protect him at any cost. But the US justice department accuses him of being one of the world's most dangerous drug barons.
Other gunmen were using the security forces' focus on west Kingston to carry out other crimes, he added.

COMMENT: The US State Department has issued a travel alert, warning citizens against travel to Kingston and the surrounding areas.
Britain "strongly advised" its nationals to avoid all "non-essential travel" to the Kingston area, and Australia urged its visitors to show a "high degree of caution".
The fighting has intermittently blocked the road to Kingston's airport and forced some flights to be cancelled. A state of emergency remains in place in parts of Kingston