Hundreds of heavily armed Brazilian police raided slum areas of Rio in a drug raid Tuesday, touching off firefights likened to scenes from a war and leaving at least 64 people dead, Brazilian officials said.

As many as 2,500 officers as well as armored vehicles and helicopters took part in the raid that targeted one of Brazil’s main drug-trafficking gangs in two poor neighborhoods called favelas.

War-like scenes unfolded during the operation, which was still going on as of Tuesday afternoon. Images circulating on social media showed columns of smoke rising into the sky as bursts of gunfire rang out.

Rio State Governor Claudio Castro described the operation as the largest in the state’s history.

The central government said the raid aimed to stop a gang called Comando Vermelho from expan

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