SAO PAULO (AFX) - At least 52 people, including 35 police officers, have been killed after two nights of organized gang attacks on Sao Paulo police stations, officials said.
The onslaught against police stations and barracks which began Friday left 14 suspected attackers and three bystanders dead and another 50 people injured, including 36 police officers, six attackers and eight bystanders, they said.
Since late Friday more than 100 attacks have been launched by the gang in the southern Brazil state, in apparent reprisal for the transfer of jailed gangsters to a high-security prison, officials said.
At the same time, scores of people have been taken hostage in uprisings in at least 18 prisons. The Sao Paulo prisons syndicate said about 250 guards have been taken hostage in the past 48 hours, while local media said 130 remained held by prisoners on Sunday. newsdesk@afxnews.com afp/jlw COPYRIGHT Copyright AFX News Limited 2005. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of AFX News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of AFX News. AFX News and AFX Financial News Logo are registered trademarks of AFX News Limited