Nine people were killed in a shootout between militias and drug
lords on Sunday in Rio de Janeiro, local police said.
The shootout took place Sunday morning when some drug dealers
were trying to recover control of the Kelsons neighborhood, from
where they had been expelled by the militia. Four members of the
militia, including one off duty policeman, and five drug dealers
were killed in the battle, said one source.
The Rio State Police Department had been warned by an anonymous
source that armed suspects were trying to invade the Kelsons
neighborhood, in the northern zone of the capital. The favela is
currently under the control of militias, which offer protection
against drug trafficking, but does not rely on the participation of
public security authorities.
But Rio Governor Sergio Cabral said on Sunday that the militia,
mainly constituting former and current law enforcement unit
members, is as dangerous as any other parallel power. He added that
the involvement of policemen in any such illegal practice will not
be tolerated.
(Xinhua News Agency February 11, 2007)
