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Surge in violence as Maltese government cracks down on lawless Malden The last few days has seen a significant spike in violence on the small Mediterranean island of Malden. While nominally under maltese rule, Malden has long been neglected by the government in Valletta with the local governor ruling nearly unrestricted. With the collapse of Libya and the following migrant and refugee crisis Malden became a haven for pirates, smugglers and other criminal elements with the Maltese government both unwilling and unable to do much about the deteriorating situation. Following a suggestion from the US government american special forces have reportedly been deployed to Malden although the pentagon was unwilling to disclose any more details than that. Local sources however paint a clearer picture. Reports of suspicious vehicles traveling in convoys, heavily armed and uniformed individuals wearing gas masks, sudden eruptions of heavy gunfire, military style aircrafts flying low and at high speeds followed by explosions have all been circulating in local media. Maltese prime minister Enrico Aldani held a press conference yesterday stating: “My government is taking drastic steps to restore law and order to the autonomous territory of Malden. Together with our American allies we are conducting both law enforcement and combat operations against the bandits, insurgents and terrorists that have been using Malden as a base for their illegal operations in the Mediterranean sea. Furthermore I wish to assure the people of Malden that their autonomy will not be challenged in any way following these operations and we are conducting them fully within the laws of the autonomous territory of Malden.” The above statement has received mixed reception among the population of Malden. While the influx of migrants and the sharp rise in crime the population of Malden are eager to see a return to normalcy. Concerns have been raised however that the government in Valletta, despite statements to the contrary, intends to clamp down on the autonomy Malden has long enjoyed. ADA News will continue to monitor the situation as it develops. Simon Tam ADANews