18 people were killed in a police operation in Brazil.
Brazilian police said 18 people were killed during a raid against a criminal group that controls one of Rio de Janeiro’s most violent areas.
Four hundred heavily armed military police were deployed in Alemao in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Sixteen of the dead were suspected criminals, while a policeman and a bystander were the two remaining victims, officials said.
The operation lasted all day and left thousands stranded in their homes.
The purpose of the raid was to find and arrest criminals who were planning operations in rival neighborhoods, police said.
Some of the targets wore uniforms similar to police uniforms, which made them more difficult to spot.
He added that 400 police officers were supported by 10 bulletproof vehicles and four helicopters.
