Rio de Janeiro: Twenty-five people were killed in a police operation conducted in a favela, or marginal neighbourhood, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian authorities said. The operation by the Federal Police, the Federal Highway Police and the Military Police took place in Vila Cruzeiro in an attempt to capture leaders of the city’s largest criminal faction, reports Xinhua news agency.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Military Police said that officers responded to an attack by alleged criminals in the favela, leaving 15 suspects dead, while a 41-year-old woman was killed by a stray bullet and nine other bodies have not been identified yet.