Sierra Leone police officers held over deadly protests

Freetown - A police official in Sierra Leone says three officers were detained and questioned in connection with the shooting deaths of two demonstrators this month.

Assistant Superintendent Brima Kamara told a radio show on Friday the officers were "under close police watch pending further investigations" of the killings.

Residents of the northern town of Kabala staged a demonstration on August 16 against the relocation of a youth village that was to provide skills training for young people. Police used tear gas and fired live rounds after the demonstration turned violent and several government offices were burned and looted.

A separate protest less than a week later resulted in two more deaths.

The US Embassy on Friday warned US citizens of "the ongoing possibility for spontaneous demonstrations throughout Sierra Leone".