At least 25 dead during Brazilian police raid in Rio

Brazilian police targeting drug traffickers have raided a slum in Rio de Janeiro and at least one officer and 24 suspects died after being shot

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Police targeting drug traffickers raided a slum in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday and at least one officer and 24 suspects died after being shot, authorities said. A police helicopter flew low over the Jacarezinho favela as heavily armed men fled police by leaping from roof to roof, according to images shown on local television. Service on a subway line was temporarily suspended “due to intense shooting in the region,” according to a statement from the company that operates it. Jacarezinho, one of the city’s most populous favelas, with some 40,000 residents, is dominated by the Comando Vermelho, one of Brazil’s leading criminal organizations. The police consider Jacarezinho to be one of the group’s headquarters. Thursday’s operation was aimed at investigating the recruitment of teenagers to hijack trains and commit other crimes, police said in a statement.