30 prison inmates killed in Brazilian gang violence that included beheadings
Thirty inmates were killed in a Brazilian prison during a fight between rival gangs. Most of the inmates were beheaded, while some were burned alive.
Security forces stormed Alcacuz Prison at dawn and restored order after 14 hours of violence, the local authorities said.
Authorities said a gang named 'Family of the North' targeted members of Brazil's most powerful criminal gang, 'First Command', known by the Portuguese acronym PCC.
Alcacuz is the latest in a series of prison-related violence in Brazil. More than 100 inmates have died in gang warfare since the beginning of 2017.
On January 2, 56 inmates were killed during a riot in a prison in Manaus. Four days later clashes at Monte Cristo prison in Boa Vista left 33 dead.
Brazil has the world’s fourth-largest prison population with more than 622,000 inmates, behind the U.S. (2.2 million), China (1.5m) and Russia (874,000).
