At least 13 people have been killed in conflict between police and drug traffickers in Rio de Janeiro.
Over 1,000 police launched a raid on Alemao - the base of a powerful drug gang - sparking hours of violence.
Though police have defended the operation, saying that all of the dead were suspected drug dealers, other residents of the slums - which house over 100,000 people have criticised the heavy-handed nature of the raid.
Talking to the Agencia Estado news agency, a slum resident said: "This is a war. My granddaughter was hit by a bullet in her home."
State public safety secretary Jose Mariano Beltrame said that the police operations against the drug traffickers were essential for the safety of the city, reports the BBC.
"We must retake control of the slums and instill public order," he commented. "The goal is to put an end to the traffickers' arsenals."
It is thought that the police have upped the intensity of their anti-drug offensives so as to secure the city for the upcoming Live Earth concert (July 7th) and the Pan-American Games on July 13th.
