In Rio de Janeiro, three people died and three others were injured in a clash between police and gunmen from a drug trafficker gang. The incident occurred during a police operation in the Israel Complex, in the northern area of the city controlled by drug traffickers.
One of the deceased was a 60-year-old man who was shot in the head while on a bus. The shooting forced authorities to close Avenida Brasil, an important route in the city, for two hours, affecting urban train traffic and causing the closure of schools and public health centers.
In addition to the victim who died on the bus, the driver of a truck and a ride-hailing car also lost their lives, hit by "stray bullets" during the shooting. Three others, with less severe injuries, were taken to nearby hospitals.
The clash erupted when the drug trafficker gang responded violently to a police operation aimed at dismantling an organization dedicated to cargo theft in the favelas they control in the Israel Complex. The gunmen blocked access routes with stolen and set-fire vehicles and resisted the police operation with armed force.
Shootouts between police and criminal gangs are frequent in Rio de Janeiro and constitute one of the main sources of violence in the city. On this occasion, the confrontation left three people dead and three injured, creating chaos in the area and affecting hundreds of people heading to their jobs.
