Rio police raid slum to arrest drug lords, prompt gun battle

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Police exchanged fire with assailants Thursday when they raided one of Rio de Janeiro’s slums to arrest alleged drug traffickers.

Media reports said as many as 11 people were killed in the violence, but authorities did not immediately confirm any casualties.

Police said the raid was tied to drug traffickers originally from the northern state of Para, where more than 40 police officers have been killed since 2021.

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Rio police raided the slum to arrest drug lords, which prompted a gun battle that killed at least 11 people. 

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TV footage showed an intense exchange of fire between police agents and locals at the Salgueiro favela. Rio police scheduled a news conference later Thursday to give more details about the operation.

Newspaper O Globo said the reputed head of Para-based drug trafficking organization was killed in the raid, which police did not confirm.