{"id":131768,"date":"2021-07-10T21:47:58","date_gmt":"2021-07-10T21:47:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/?p=131768"},"modified":"2021-07-10T21:47:58","modified_gmt":"2021-07-10T21:47:58","slug":"clashes-between-venezuelan-police-and-gangs-leave-26-dead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/precoinnews.com\/world-news\/clashes-between-venezuelan-police-and-gangs-leave-26-dead\/","title":{"rendered":"Clashes between Venezuelan police and gangs leave 26 dead"},"content":{"rendered":"
CARACAS (AFP) – At least 26 people died in nearly two days of clashes between Venezuelan security forces and gangs that control poor neighbourhoods of Caracas, the government said on Saturday (July 10).<\/p>\n
The toll is 22 suspected gang members and four police officers dead, Interior Minister Carmen Melendez said.<\/p>\n
She said an unspecified number of non-combatants died and 28 people were wounded, 18 of them bystanders.<\/p>\n
The firefights broke out on Wednesday evening, forcing people to flee from their homes.<\/p>\n
The clashes saw the use of high power rifles, tracer bullets, grenades and drones with which the gangsters got an aerial view of the security forces.<\/p>\n
As many as 2,500 officers were deployed to take one barrio, or slum, called Cota 905. Authorities offered a rewards of US$500,000 (S$675,000) for the gang boss that runs it.<\/p>\n
Police seized 24,000 rounds of ammunition, three rocket launchers, five rifles, four submachine guns and several handguns.<\/p>\n
“We confiscated a military arsenal for war,” said Melendez.<\/p>\n
In June, similar clashes killed at least three people including a nurse who fell victim to a stray bullet.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Venezuela is one of the most violent nations on Earth.<\/p>\n
In 2020, the country registered 12,000 violent deaths, according to the Venezuelan Violence Observatory. This is a rate of 45.6 per 100,000 inhabitants – seven times higher than the global average.<\/p>\n
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