Rio de Janeiro, Aug 21 (IANS): Two soldiers and five civilians have been killed in a military raid here in Brazil.
Around 4,200 soldiers, supported by 70 policemen with the aid of armoured vehicles and helicopters carried out the searches in the congested neighbourhoods called favelas.
According to the Joint Command of the military seven were killed in the operation in three favelas in the north of Rio (Alemao, Penha and La Mare), home to more than 500,000 people.
The operation is part of President Michel Temer's military intervention ordered in February to deal with security and violence that plagues the Rio de Janeiro State, Efe news reported.
On August 17 and 19 the military carried out an anti-narcotics operation in the favela of Alemao.
Violence in Rio is endemic and claimed 6,731 lives in 2017.