Security presence has been ramped up in Denham Town, Kingston, as lawmen search for the perpetrators involved in the killing of a member of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), on Friday morning.

The name of the soldier has not yet been released.

Reports are that at about 1:25 AM, members of the military were conducting an operational tour of the Denham Town Zone of Special Operations, when armed men engaged them in gunfire. The soldier was reportedly hit during the confrontation.

He was later pronounced dead at hospital.

Speaking in an interview with IRIE FM News, National Security Minister Dr. Horace Chang noted that tensions between gangs have been high in the community.

Meanwhile, advocacy group Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) has described this morning’s killing of a soldier while he was on duty in West Kingston as an assault on the rule of law.

JFJ Executive Director Mickel Jackson expressed sadness at the senseless act of violence, which she says robbed the nation of a dedicated public servant.

Ms. Jackson urged the authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the incident and bring those responsible to justice.

Ms. Jackson called on Jamaicans to condemn violence in all its forms and to work together to build a safer and more peaceful nation.