You've heard the saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Well, during the Thanksgiving holiday, war broke out between hundreds of drug dealers and police officers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Various photographers captured photographic images of the conflict. In a shantytown complex dubbed Complexo do Alemão, drug gangs attacked police stations and staged mass robberies in response to recent efforts by city officials to quell Rio's drug- and gang-related violence ahead of the upcoming the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics Games. In response, Brazilian security forces launched a raid in the Complexo do Alemão, where between 500 and 600 drug traffickers were holed up. Boston.com reports at least 42 people were killed in the violence last week, with security forces taking control of many neighborhoods. A relatively low number of arrests were made, and authorities warn of further conflict as they continue to flush out more suspects in Rio's numerous shantytowns. Boston.com has pulled together 40 photos by various photographers that document the conflict.
Check out the images on Boston.com.