Trinidad Rebels Seize TV, Claim They Staged a Coup : Caribbean: Radical black Muslim leader appears on screen and says his group holds government officials captive.

A radical black Muslim group seized control of a state-run television station Friday night and claimed it had ousted the Trinidad and Tobago government of Prime MinisR. Robinson.

Iman Yasin Abu Bakr, leader of the self-styled Al Muslimee group, appeared on the television screen and claimed that his group had taken Robinson and members of his Cabinet captive in the Parliament building in this capital.

“As of this moment, the elected government is toppled,” Abu Bakr said. “We are asking people not to be involved in any looting or they will pay the cost.”

As he spoke, Abu Bakr sat next to an armed man dressed in army fatigues.

The news director of the state television station, who was seen sitting at Abu Bakr’s side, said that no one at the station was hurt.

Meantime, state-owned radio reported that a crisis had developed in this Caribbean nation, which lies only a few miles off the northern coast of South America.

Smoke was billowing from the police headquarters after an explosion, state radio said.

Eyewitnesses said that sporadic gunshots were heard in the streets outside the police headquarters and near the Parliament building, where lawmakers were meeting for a debate.

The oil-producing nation, which became independent from the Britain in 1962, covers 1,978 square miles. Its population is made up of people of African descent (40.8%), Indians from Asia (40.7%) mixed races (16.3%), and Europeans, Chinese and others. The country’s dominant language is English.

Young men dressed in dark clothes and carrying rifles were seen running through the streets near the Parliament building and shouting at pedestrians to get out of the way.

Lawmakers were in session Friday to debate a motion related to corruption in government.

Police cordoned off the area surrounding the burning police headquarters and nearby Parliament building. Automobiles driving out of the area were halted and searched by men who appeared to be police officers armed with guns.

State-owned television broadcast music videos following Abu Bakr’s announcement, which was made about 6:30 p.m. EDT.

Privately owned Radio Trinidad went off the air and telephone contact with New York was cut.

In the past, Abu Bakr’s group has claimed to have 200 to 250 members. They are known as a small militant group with connections to Libya and perhaps funding from that country.

Abu Bakr is a former police officer in Trinidad. Little is known about him. Reports have been published here saying that he has spent some time in Libya.

Trinidad, the larger of the two islands in the nation of Trinidad and Tobago, has a population of about 1.3 million.

The islands in recent years have suffered from a recession, with closing of oil refineries, devaluation of the local currency and a new, unpopular 15% value-added tax, according to local observers.

Abu Bakr’s rebel group in the past year has occupied some government land in western Port-of-Spain, creating controversy and tensions on the island.

The country’s 1,000-member army had not entered into action by late Friday, according to local reports. Abu Bakr’s statement said that the rebels were in touch with the army. but it was not known what, if anything, that signified.

The police force has about 500 members on the island of Trinidad.