West Kingston Enquiry: Only two mortar rounds fired into Tivoli, says JDF officer

A Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) officer has revealed that only two mortar rounds were fired into Tivoli Gardens during the May 2010 operations.

This assertion by Major Warrenton Dixon came this morning as he sought to dismiss claims by residents of Tivoli Gardens that 'bombs' fired during the operations caused damage to several buildings in their community.

Like former JDF Chief of Defense Staff, Major General Stewart Saunders, Dixon testified that a total of 37 mortar rounds were fired during the operation.

He says 35 of these mortar rounds were fired in areas surrounding and adjacent to the community. 

The JDF mortar fire controller at the time revealed that the other two mortars were fired at the football field in Tivoli Gardens about 12:40 on the afternoon of May 24, 2010.

According to him, one of the mortars exploded while the other did not.

Major Dixon says the mortar which did not explode was later recovered and destroyed by the engineers.

He explained that the mortars used by the military were low velocity rounds that self destruct as soon as they come in contact with a hard surface.

According to the Major, these mortars would not cause craters in roads or blow holes into buildings.

As a result he says he finds several of the claims made by witnesses at the Enquiry implausible.