Five family members, seven others killed in foiled bank assaults

Twelve people — including six hostages — were killed in northeast Brazil on Friday after police foiled a gang of armed robbers staging simultaneous predawn assaults on two banks in the town of Milagres , officials said.
Five of the dead hostages were members of the same family and included two children , the local mayor, Lielson Landim , told the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper . They had been returning from a nearby airport when some of the robbers seized them .

The secretary for security in the state of Ceara , Andre Costa , said in a statement that an investigation was being carried out to identify those killed and the circumstances of their deaths .
Costa did not say whose bullets killed the hostages. Landim had earlier said that , based on initial information , he understood that “ the criminals killed the hostages and the police killed the criminals . ”

Two suspects were arrested , according to Costa’ s office .

“A heavily armed group arrived in the town in the early hours and went to the centre where they tried to commit the crime . There was an exchange of fire between the suspects and police , ” it said.

It said six gang members were killed and “another six people died from gunshots. ”

Various weapons and explosives, as well as three vehicles used in the bank assaults , were recovered .

– ‘ Cowering ’ residents –

The gang had launched simultaneous assaults on two banks on the same street in Milagres — population 28 , 000 — shortly after 2 : 00 am ( 0400 GMT) .

According to the G 1 news website , the robbers had blocked a street with a truck and stopped the car carrying the family , which included relatives who had just arrived on a flight from Sao Paulo to celebrate Christmas with them .

G 1 reported that the robbers “ executed” the hostages when police turned up. It said some of the gang managed to escape .

“I ’ ve never seen anything like it . I stayed inside my home , cowering and afraid , ” a local resident , Mendonca de Santa Helena , told media . “ I heard people yelling and crying . It was horrible . ”

Shaken by the violence , the municipality of Milagres suspended most of its activities on Friday and asked residents to stay at home “ until order is restored . ”

Brazil is one of the most violent countries in the world , suffering nearly 64 , 000 murders last year — a homicide rate of 30 . 8 per 100 , 000 inhabitants that is three times higher than the level the United Nations considers to be endemic violence .

On January 1 , a far -right politician promising a relentless crackdown on crime , Jair Bolsonaro , will become Brazil ’ s new president following his election in October .

( AFP )

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