AMN
In Brazil, Police has said that 18 people have been killed during a raid against a criminal gang that controls one of Rio de Janeiro’s most violent slums. Media reports say, four hundred heavily-armed Military Police were deployed to the Alemão favela in the early hours of Thursday. Police told, that sixteen of the dead were suspected criminals, while a Police Officer and a bystander were the other two victims. The operation lasted all day and left thousands trapped in their homes.
Local media outlets reported the objective of the raid was to locate and arrest criminals who were planning operations in rival slums. Deadly raids are not uncommon in Rio de Janeiro’s favelas, as Police seek to hunt down drug trafficking gangs.
In May, 22 people were killed, also including a female bystander, in the Vila Cruzeiro favela. Last year, at least 25 people, including a Police Officer, were killed in a shootout in the Jacarezinho area of the city.