GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC):

At least 11 persons were shot and killed in the east coast village of Lusignan by unknown gunmen who also attacked the police Tactical Services Unit (TSU) leaving two officers wounded, police confirmed yesterday.

They said that the gunmen stormed the east coast village, not far from the troublesome Buxton village, and killed their victims during a 20-minute shooting spree.

The police said three persons have been hospitalised, including a child with serious injuries.

High-calibre weapons

The authorities said that the gunmen attacked five houses in the area with high-calibre weapons, including night-vision glasses.

Television footage showed live rounds, spent shells and the night-vision goggles in a resident's yard.

While the names of the dead were not immediately available, one man was identified as Shazam Mohammed, 22.

Television footage also showed the bodies of a man, woman and a child. The television reports also said there had been angry exchanges between residents and the police, whom the residents said arrived at least one hour after the shootings.

The residents said they had telephoned the police immediately after the gunmen stormed the first residence.

On Friday night, a carload of heavily armed men attacked the police headquarters at Eve Leary, injuring two TSU officers.

Police Commissioner Henry Greene said the country's most wanted fugitive Rondell 'Fineman' Rawlins may have been behind the attacks.

On Friday, police said they were taking seriously a telephone call allegedly made by Rawlins that he would create mayhem in the country if his common-law wife, Tenisha Morgan, 18, was not released by abductors.

"We hav our patrols at this time ... we have been on high alert since Thursday," Greene said.

The police said they had received a report from the relatives of the pregnant teenager from the volatile Buxton, East Demerara area, who had been not been seen since January 18.

The police said that the relatives had claimed that the young woman had indicated that she was travelling to Georgetown to visit an aunt.

The relatives have also dismissed reports that Rawlins had a relationship with the teenager, noting that her boyfriend has been residing in Barbados.

Police have offered a G$5-million (US$25,000) reward for the capture of Rawlins wanted for several murders, including former Agriculture Minister Satyadeow 'Sash' Sawh two years ago.