El Salvador: Entire region 'under siege' to hem in gangs

Source: BBC

El Salvador: Entire region 'under siege' to hem in gangs

2 August 2023

Thousands of soldiers in El Salvador have surrounded a rural region larger than New York City to flush out gang members who are allegedly hiding there.

The military deployment in Cabañas was ordered by President Nayib Bukele as part of his ongoing war on gangs.

More than 70,000 suspected gang members have been arrested since a state of emergency was declared in March 2022.

Thousands of people with no discernible link to gang activity have also been swept up in the dragnet of arrests.

Lorries loaded with soldiers were seen on the streets of the regional towns of Tejutepeque and Ilobaso on Tuesday, AFP news agency reports.

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Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-66379555

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