Ten killed in Brazilian slum raid

by Sanjay Jha | February 5, 2009 at 01:24 am

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In a raid conducted by about 300 police officers in the slums using armed vehicles and a helicopter in search of drugs, weapons and stolen cars, Police in Brazil have killed at least 10 suspected drug dealers in operations in four slums in the city of Rio de Janiero.

Ten people, including two teenage boys, have been killed during a police raid on shanty towns in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, officials say.

The authorities say those who died were suspected drug dealers.

But community and rights groups often challenge the police version of events after major security operations.

The deaths happened at a time when police in Rio de Janeiro are trying a new community policing approach in two of the city's shanty towns.

The raids involving 300 officers were carried out across four of Rio de Janeiro's sprawling shanty towns.

Armoured vehicles and helicopters were used by police searching for drugs, arms and stolen cars.

Two of the dead are reported to be teenage boys, while a woman who was hit by a stray bullet was also taken to hospital.