Residents of the troubled Tredegar Park and Gravel Heights communities in St Catherine say they welcome the curfew which has been imposed on their communities.

"What a lovely sight! Is long time we want the soldier dem inna di place, when dem deh ya di criminal dem will leave wi alone," a woman said while watching the operation.

Residents of the two communities, which have been gripped by shootings, arsons and murders, say they have been requesting the military presence for some time now as persons cannot even walk the streets in peace.

Three wanted men were among 82 persons detained in a curfew imposed in the communities yesterday.

Head of St Catherine North police, Superintendent Assan Thompson, said the three men are of major interest to them in relation to a number of crimes committed in the division.

Among them is Fitz Donigal, also called 'Killie Killie', who is alleged to be a strongman for the One Order gang in Tredegar Park. He was listed among the top-five men on the Spanish Town police's most wanted list some time ago.

The names of the other two men are being withheld pending further investigations. The other detainees are to be processed.

A curfew was imposed on the communities at 6 a.m. yesterday and will remain in effect for the next 48 hours.

Thompson also urged residents in the division to alert the police upon noticing strange persons in their communities by calling the Spanish Town CIB at 984-9757/984-2874, Operation Kingfish at 811 or police emergency at 119.