Brazilian gang members killed in violence

SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) – Brazilian police killed
several gang members when they came under attack in a second
night of violence linked to prison rebellions, a Sao Paulo
state official said on Sunday.

In the worst eruption of violence in years in Brazil’s
wealthiest state, 30 people were killed between Friday night
and Saturday morning when criminal gangs made at least 55
separate attacks on police, firemen and prison personnel.

Police say an organized crime gang called the First Command
of the Capital ordered the attacks after officials transferred
imprisoned gang leaders in an attempt to defuse a multi-prison
rebellion allegedly planned for this weekend.

“We know that a few bandits died in the hospital after a
shootout with police last night but we are still waiting for
reports from the precincts,” said a spokesman at the state
secretariat of security.

A prison official said there had been rebellions at 24
prisons since Friday, with more reported to have started on
Sunday morning.

“We have ended six of the 24 rebellions that had begun
since Friday without deaths or serious injury, but I’ve heard
that there were more riots in new prisons that started earlier
this morning,” said the spokeswoman for the Sao Paulo
administration of penitentiaries.

In February 2001, 29 prisons in the state of Sao Paulo
simultaneously broke out in revolt, leaving 19 dead.