( L - R ) Qarase and Bainimarama

SUVA (Reuters):

Heavily armed Fijian troops put up roadblocks throughout the capital yesterday and took weapons from key police installations as fears of a fourth coup in 20 years gripped the South Pacific nation.

Dozens of troops set up roadblocks in and around Suva, completely blocking some roads but allowing traffic to pass along others, a Reuters witness said.

Truckloads of armed soldiers earlier left military headquarters in Suva and embattled Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase was forced to fly by helicopter back into Suva due to a roadblock.

The army kept up the pressure on Qarase when he was later summoned to President Ratu Josefa Iloilo's residence.

Qarase drove to the sprawling harbourside estate but was told by soldiers at a roadblock outside that he would have to walk the rest of the way, a witness inside the grounds said.

Qarase, whose bodyguards were also disarmed by the military, refused and returned to his office.

Fiji's military chief has threatened to topple Qarase's government over a long list of grievances and accuses it of being too soft on those behind Fiji's last coup in 2000.

Tight security

"Security forces will be out there and will ensure the security of all the people of Fiji," Commander Frank Bainimarama said at a news conference inside the main Suva barracks.

Bainimarama did not say he was taking over the country, but said that police weapons were confiscated so that "dissidents" did not use them against the military.

Earlier yesterday armed troops seized weapons from the police tactical response unit, the only armed police group, and entered a second police armoury.

"There will be no violent confrontation with the military; they are armed, we are not armed," Fiji's Acting Police Commissioner Moses Driver told a news conference in Suva.

Bainimarama has said he will "clean out" Qarase's government, which was re-elected in May for a second five-year term, but that it will be a peaceful transition.