At least 5,000 soldiers and 500 police have surrounded a town in northwestern El Salvador.
They want to arrest those responsible for the suspected murder of a police officer by a gang.
Security authorities in the Central American country said the policeman was killed Tuesday (16) in an attack by suspected gang members on patrol in Nueva Concepcion, about 67 km northwest of the capital.
“Since early morning, we have established a security perimeter around Nueva Concepcion,” President Nayib Bukele wrote on Twitter, saying this will allow the “search for those responsible for the murder and the entire structure of gang members and collaborators who are still hiding there.”
“They will pay dearly for the murder of our hero,” added Bukele, who human rights groups have criticized for his authoritarian style of government and brutal crackdown on crime, particularly street gangs.
El Salvador has suspended constitutional rights in a so-called state of emergency that allows police to quickly arrest and jail suspected gang members while suspending their right to a lawyer and judicial approval of provisional detention.
Since last year, more than 68,000 suspects have been arrested, and thousands transferred to a new “mega-prison.”
Human rights groups report that some innocent people have fallen into the clutches of this policy, including at least dozens who have died in custody.
However, according to various polls, the policy is seen as a means to reduce the high violent crime rate and is supported by most of the population.
The Bukele government has previously implemented similar increases in security forces in urban areas considered very dangerous to curb drug trafficking and the movement of gang members.
News El Salvador, English news El Salvador, El Salvadoran security