RIO DE JANEIRO — Rio de Janeiro police raided the Vila Cruzeiro favela before dawn on Tuesday in an operation that sparked a fierce firefight and state officials said at least 10 people had died.
The operation was aimed at locating and arresting criminal leaders, some from other states, police said in a statement.
The statement said officers came under fire while planning their incursion, and one resident was shot and killed. He said 11 people were found injured after the shooting and taken to a nearby government hospital.
Ten deaths have been confirmed in the hospital’s emergency room and two people are being treated in the trauma wing, according to a statement from the state health secretary.
The operation was carried out jointly by the State Military Police and the Federal Highway Police. Police apprehended 16 vehicles, 13 automatic rifles as well as pistols and grenades, according to the police statement.
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