A major military operation is now under way in St James.

The details of the operation are not immediately available.

However, it is in response to a surge in shootings and murders in the western parish.

The latest incidents occurred three hours apart near the round-a-bout to the Sangster International Airport on Tuesday leaving one man dead and three others seriously hurt.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Andrew Holness declared that tough new anti-crime measures are coming and begged for understanding and tolerance.

READ: PM warns tougher anti-crime measures coming [2]

He declined to elaborate, but his press secretary Naomi Francis said an announcement would be made in a matter of days.

St James has been of particular worry in the past few years.

It ended 2017 with a record 332 murders, that's 67 more than reported in 2016.

On Monday, the Prime Minister met with the National Security Council to discuss the issue of crime and the Government's response.

The issue was also discussed at the Cabinet Retreat last week.

We want to hear from you! Email us at editor@gleanerjm.com [3] or onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com [4]