Brazil Marines join slum battles, 30 people killed
Armored cars rolled through smoke-filled streets in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday as police battled slum-based drug gangs for a fifth consecutive day in the city slated to host the 2016 Olympics. Live TV coverage showed heavily armed police exchanging gunfire with suspected drug traffickers in the hilly shantytowns on the city outskirts.
"Our goal today is to take back ground from the drug traffickers. We're taking it back and rescuing society from its position as a hostage to the drug trade," said Colonel Alvaro Rodrigues of the military police and the head of the operation. (Reuters)
