About 400 men of the special forces of the police, with the assistance of four helicopters, took part in the operation which took place in the Alemão favela.
Eighteen people died Thursday in a police operation against organized crime in a Rio de Janeiro favela, authorities in the Brazilian metropolis announced.
According to a police statement, these are 16 of the alleged gang members, a resident of the area and a police officer.
About 400 men of the special forces of the police, with the assistance of four helicopters, took part in the operation which took place in the Alemão favela.
Police in Rio de Janeiro often launch deadly raids on slums, aiming to dismantle gangs that infest the wider area. President Bolsonaro has openly backed controversial police tactics in the campaign against organized crime, saying gang members should “die like cockroaches”.
After the raid, residents tried to take the injured to a hospital. “The police do not aim to arrest them, but to kill them,” they complained.
Angry residents slammed the police for the bloody operation: “We are afraid to live here. Where are we; In Afghanistan? At war? In Iraq? If they want war, send them to Iraq.”
RES-EMP
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