(AKI) - The Italian government may send troops to reinforce the streets of Caserta outside the southern city of Naples after the slaying of six African immigrants by suspected Mafia hitmen last week. The massacre took place last week in the town of Castel Volturno, in the province of Caserta, which is home to the Campania region's Mafia or Camorra.
The Italian cabinet is due to meet on Tuesday to discuss the need for security reinforcements after the massacre provoked violent street demonstrations.
A Camorra-linked suspect was arrested on Monday in connection with the Castel Volturno shootings. Besides the six who died, two other people were injured in the attack. A total 89 percent of participants in a survey by Italy's Sky News said they think the army should be deployed in the Campania region surrounding Naples to fight the Camorra.
The Italian government in early August deployed some 3,000 troops to support police officers in major Italian cities as part of the government's campaign to combat crime and boost security in these cities. The deployment, authorised initially for six months, drew criticism from Italy's opposition parties.
Critics of the move said it sends a message that Italy is swamped by crime and that the police cannot do their job. Opposition politicians also argued it will deter tourists.
It is not the first time that troops have been deployed in Italian cities. In 1992 soldiers were stationed on the streets of Sicily after the Mafia assassinated two judges in bomb attacks. Soldiers in 1994 also patrolled the border with Slovenia in the north east to tackle illegal immigration. In 1995 the army was sent to Naples to tackle the Camorra or local Mafia. |