Reuters AlertNet Lite - 19 killed in Rio shantytown shootout, police raid

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19 killed in Rio shantytown shootout, police raid

17 Apr 2007 20:52:00 GMT
Source: Reuters

RIO DE JANEIRO, April 17 (Reuters) - At least 19 people were killed in poor neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday, some in a shootout between rival gangs and others in a police raid, Brazilian police said.

The killings occurred a day after President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva agreed to speed up the deployment of a special federal security force around the city.

At least 13 people were killed in the Morro da Mineira shantytown which police, armed with assault rifles, raided to quell a prolonged shootout between rival gangs. Most of the dead were drug runners killed by members of rival gangs, police said.

"It wasn't a planned raid, we had to go in and intervene because rival gangs were engaged in conflict and we had to establish order," a police lieutenant said.

One resident of the favela was wounded by a stray bullet, as was a passenger on a bus. The shootout prompted authorities to close key roads leading into Rio's wealthy southern district, trapping residents in their cars.

Police said they killed six suspected drug runners in a separate shootout next to the Rebu favela.

Human rights groups frequently complain that security forces in the drug-ravaged city are overly violent.

But police say they are terrified of being outgunned by heavily armed and well-financed gangs that control the cocaine trade in the seaside city, a favorite of tourists.

Lula is weighing a request from Rio's governor to send army troops to stop escalating violence in the city.

The army troops would complement 500 members of a special federal police force already deployed around the city as well as 400 more slated to arrive within 10 days.

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Last updated:Tue Apr 17 20:52:59 2007