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Intense firefight sows panic in massive Rio de Janeiro slum

RIO DE JANEIRO – A heavy firefight between law enforcement and drug trafficking gangs raged for hours in Rio de Janeiro’s largest slum, sowing panic among residents.

The gun battle broke out Friday afternoon in Rocinha, a massive slum wedged into one of the city’s richest neighbourhoods. No deaths or injuries were immediately reported.

On its Instagram feed, the elite BOPE police unit said its agents were after a notorious drug trafficker believed to be holed up in the slum. The trafficker, known as Rogerio 157, was not thought to have been captured.

The firefight dragged on for several hours, alarming both Rocinha residents as well as those living in nearby wealthy neighbourhoods. Rocinha is among Rio’s so-called pacified slums, with a police presence.

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