Today in Rio de Janeiro, two policemen got killed when criminals shot down the helicopter they were traveling on while they were participating in an operation against drug traffickers.
Three other people died in the clashes, eight wounded and ten buses were burned.
The helicopter was attacked by ground fire and exploded while performing an emergency landing on a soccer field.
Four policemen, including a captain, were injured, an officer was severely burned and were rescued alive from the plane before the explosion.
The incident occurred in the north of the city, and also left eight wounded by a dispute between rival gangs that control drug trafficking in two nearby favelas, the Morro de Sao Joao and Morro dos Macacos.
Spokesmen for the police stated that “the gunfire between rival gangs began early on Saturday, killing at least three people,” and that “neighborhood residents identified them as young people returning from a party and that were mistaken for drug traffickers. ”
They also reported that “unknown persons torched a dozen buses in different suburbs of Rio de Janeiro” and “arrested three of the gunmen who staged confrontations.”
