BRASILIA, March 5, 2025 – A police operation in a popular neighborhood of Salvador resulted in the deaths of 12 individuals, local authorities announced on Wednesday.
The incident took place on Tuesday when officers arrived in the Fazenda Coutos neighborhood, which is known for its violent territorial disputes between two heavily armed rival criminal factions, considered among the most dangerous in Bahia state’s capital.
“Upon the police’s arrival, there was a significant confrontation” with members of one of the gangs, Marcelo Werner, Bahia’s Secretary of Security, explained to reporters.
Following the shootout, “12 criminals were taken to the hospital but were later declared dead,” he added.
According to the official, the “criminals” had barricaded themselves inside a house where they had held the occupants hostage before releasing them amid the gunfire.
The operation also led to the seizure of “an arsenal that included submachine guns, handguns,” and illegal drugs, as stated in a local authorities’ press release.
