El Salvador: Thousands of troops deployed to combat gangs
El Salvador has recently stepped up its anti-violence campaign.
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Police and soldiers patrol in Soyapango, El Salvador (AFP)
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele has deployed 10,000 security forces to combat gang violence in a San Salvador suburb.
According to a presidential statement, soldiers and security officers surrounded the town of Soyapango on Saturday to evict gang members.
“8,500 soldiers and 1,500 agents have surrounded the city, while police teams and the army are tasked with extricating one by one all gang members still there,” Bukele tweeted.
“Ordinary citizens have nothing to fear and can continue to live their lives as usual,” Bukele added.
He further affirmed that the operation is against criminals, not against “honest citizens.”
This is the latest step in Bukele's Territorial Control Plan, a strategy for reclaiming gang-dominated areas.
In March, 62 people were killed in some of the bloodiest killings since the country's civil war ended three decades ago, intensifying his anti-violence drive.
El Salvador has long been regarded as one of the most violent countries in the world. The government has apprehended and imprisoned nearly 50,000 accused terrorists since March, as per El Salvador's presidency.
