At least seven police officers were killed in coordinated gang attacks across Guatemala after security forces regained control of a rioting prison and captured a top gang leader.
Police in Guatemala faced a wave of violence on Sunday following the retaking of the Renovación 1 maximum-security prison near Escuintla. Security forces arrested Aldo Duppie, also known as “El Lobo,” a senior figure in the Barrio 18 gang, while 37 hostages remained held in two other prisons.
Volunteer firefighters reported that two officers were killed by high-caliber gunfire outside the Justice Center in Villa Nueva, with rescue workers attempting CPR as police secured the area. Additional attacks in Chinautla and San Pedro Ayampuc left several officers wounded.
Interior Minister Marco Antonio Villeda said the attacks occurred in and around Guatemala City, bringing the total police deaths to seven and injuring ten others. One gang member was also killed.
Authorities confirmed at least ten separate attacks on police stations and officers on Sunday, resulting in five arrests. In response, the government suspended schools nationwide on Monday and canceled recreational and cultural events in the capital.
Villeda said joint operations with the army would be launched to secure urban areas and stressed that the government would make no agreements with gangs. Police Director David Custodio Boteo added that security for officers and stations would be increased and encouraged unity among police forces.
Hundreds of officers had earlier swept into Renovación 1 to free hostages taken during Saturday’s riots, subduing Duppie in the process. The unrest reflects the ongoing threat posed by organized crime in Guatemala, where gang violence remains a major challenge to public security.
Portugal voted on Sunday in a presidential runoff between leftist Antonio Jose Seguro and far-right challenger Andre Ventura, with surveys indicating ...
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney has resigned as criticism intensifies over the decision to appoint Peter Mande...
The Board of Peace created by U.S. President Donald Trump will hold its first leaders meeting on 19 February in Washington, a U.S. government official...
Japan’s ruling coalition under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is heading for a sweeping win in Sunday’s (8 February) lower house election, accordin...
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said a man suspected of shooting senior military intelligence officer Vladimir Alexeyev in Moscow has been d...
Some tariffs on foods and other imports from Argentina, Ecuador, Guatemala, and El Salvador will be removed under framework agreements that give U.S. firms greater market access, the United States said on Thursday.
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo has said his country is prepared to receive around 150 unaccompanied minors per week deported from the U.S. The announcement came a day after a U.S. federal judge blocked the deportation of 10 Guatemalan children.
Guatemala has agreed to shelter 161 Mexicans fleeing violence in the southern state of Chiapas, where cartel clashes have displaced hundreds in recent years.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
Storm Leonardo hit Spain and Portugal on Tuesday, forcing more than 11,000 people from their homes, as a man in Portugal died after his car was swept away by floodwaters and a second body was found in Malaga.
Iran would retaliate by striking U.S. military bases across the Middle East if it comes under attack by American forces, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday (7 January), stressing that such action should not be seen as targeting the countries hosting those bases.
At least 31 people have been killed and scores wounded in a suicide bombing at a mosque in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, during Friday prayers, prompting widespread international condemnation.
U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators have discussed an ambitious goal of reaching a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine by March, though the timeline is widely viewed as unrealistic due to deep disagreements over territory, according to multiple sources familiar with the talks.
A Japanese city near Mount Fuji has cancelled its annual cherry blossom festival, saying growing numbers of badly behaved tourists are disrupting daily life for residents.
Portugal voted on Sunday in a presidential runoff between leftist Antonio Jose Seguro and far-right challenger Andre Ventura, with surveys indicating a decisive victory for Seguro despite weather disruptions and pockets of political fatigue.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney has resigned as criticism intensifies over the decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States.
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said a man suspected of shooting senior military intelligence officer Vladimir Alexeyev in Moscow has been detained in Dubai and returned to Russia.
Police in riot gear pushed toward a group of protesters who launched fireworks, flares and smoke bombs during a demonstration in Milan on Saturday, as the city hosted events on the first full day of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 8th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment