THE East Kingston police yesterday detained at least six men in the volatile community known as Dunkirk, after receiving reports of a likely clash between feuding gangsters.

The police said the operation was aimed at averting another possible outbreak of gang violence, signs of which have not been seen since last February when a deadly gang feud claimed several lives in the tough Kingston community.

“There has been a flare-up in the Brown’s Town area. We have gotten reports that shots were fired there last night (Sunday),” a police officer at the Elletson Road Criminal Investigation Bureau told the Observer yesterday.

Residents of Dunkirk said guns have recently been barking nightly in the community.

“Men from Bryden Street have been at war with other men from Wellington Street, and men from Bray Street got involved too,” a female resident said.

Another resident said the battle lines were drawn after a man who had been trying to take over the “reins of leadership” in sections of Dunkirk beat some women from the community. In retaliation, persons said loyal to the women, slapped the man’s mother in the face, which led to a shoot-out between the gun-toting rivals, the resident said.

Yesterday, some streets in the community were blocked with old refrigerators and other debris, while people gathered at street corners peered about nervously minutes after the police operation.

“We have to block the street to prevent drive by shooting,” a woman said.

Last February, police were forced to mount several curfews in Dunkirk following a shoot-out with gunmen. In that incident, a policeman was shot dead and three police vehicles burnt.