BREAKING: 20 Dead as Brazil Police Tackle Drug Traffickers in Rio Shanty

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At least 20 people have died in a police shootout in Rio de Janeiro, according to reports. The dead include a police officer. The shootout happened in Rio de Janeiro's Jacarezinho shanty town.

Deadly shootout captured on camera in car dealership
Representational Picture

The shootout occurred when the police acted against drug traffickers, Reuters reported, citing O Globo newspaper. In collateral damage, two passengers on a metro train were also wounded in the shooting.

Footage circulating online shows heavy gunfire and even the detonation of gas bombs during the confrontation. People can be seen fleeing through the roofs of houses and terraces in images shot from helicopters.

The Jacarezinho favela, where the deadly shootout occurred, is home to the 'Red Command', a notorious criminal gang in Rio de Janeiro.

The shootout happened in the early hours of Thursday when the Civil Police operation team tried to bust a drug trafficking and organised crime in the area, the Xinhua news agency reported.

(More information awaited)