Western Division Task Force (WDTF) officers and members of Special Intelligence Unit (SIU) were yesterday involved in a face-off in front of the Masjid Al Muslimeen at Mucurapo Road.

The SIU drove two unmarked vehicles on Mucurapo Road and Secondary School Road throughout the day.

On seeing the SIU vehicle parked in front of the mosque, WDTF officers pulled out their firearms, asked for identification and told the SIU team to move the vehicle.

Other military officers jumped into a jeep and blocked the SIU vehicle from leaving.

At gunpoint, the driver of the SIU vehicle immediately pulled out his identification card, and the WDTF officers then told him not to park the car in front of the mosque.

Newsday was greeted with silence when an SIU vehicle was approached and asked about the lack of communication.

From early yesterday morning, only CEPEP and Port-of-Spain City Corporation workers were permitted entry to Mu-curapo Road.

Helicopters flew overhead and police vehicles patrolled Mucurapo Road every hour.

Meanwhile, Western Division Task Force officers could be seen drilling in the area, the site of Abu Bakr’s office before it was demolished by a tractor on Thursday.

Motorists and pedestrians were prevented from entering Henry Pierre Terrace and Ethel Street on Mucurapo Road, which was blocked off. Western Division Task Force officers were posted at the blockades.

This caused a traffic pile-up in both Woodbrook, and St James.

Mucurapo Secondary School and Mucurapo Junior Comprehensive Schools were closed.

Members of the Jamaat who live at Mucurapo Road are looking for alternative accommodations because they were not allowed back onto the grounds.

Also, Bakr’s wives’ houses were also raided within the past 24 hours.

At 10 am, members of the Jamaat were permitted entry to Mucurapo Road.

The Muslims held their Juma at 1.30 pm on Secondary School Road, as they were not permitted into the mosque. They stood in the middle of the road, in the pouring rain, singing and shouting, "Allah ou Akbar" meaning Allah is the greatest.

Imam Kala Akibua, who gave the Kutba (sermon) at the Juma in pouring rain, called for the resignation of Police Commissioner Trevor Paul. He said that the occupation by Western Division Task Force and Inter Agency Task Force officers was for a short period of time.

http://www.newsday.co.tt/stories.php?article_id=30630