BRASILIA: At least 132 people were shot dead and many more were injured in a clash during a police raid on drug gangs in the slums of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Four of the dead were police officers. 81 people were arrested. Weapons and a large amount of drugs were seized. More than 2,500 police and soldiers participated in the raid.

This is considered to be one of the deadliest raids conducted by officials in the recent past against gangs that ruled poorer neighbourhoods in Rio. The United Nations Human Rights Office called the police operation ‘horrific’.

Residents said the raid was war-like and they were treated as criminals by police officials. Meanwhile, the governor of the region called it a ‘historic day’, showing Brasil’s strong resistance against organised crime.

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