According to The Guardian, the attacks were organized in "retaliation" for the killing of gang leader Matheus da Silva Rezende by the police.
The attacks, in which gang members set fire to at least 36 public buses, 4 trucks and 1 train, took place in at least 9 different districts of Rio de Janeiro, including Cosmos, Campo Grande, Inhoaiba, Guaratiba, Madureira, Paciencia, Santa Cruz, Sepetiba and Recreio dos Bandeirantes, where about 1 million people live.
Rio de Janeiro State Governor Claudio Castro described the incidents as "acts of terrorism" and vowed to "fight organized crime".
Governor Castro noted that 12 people linked to the attacks have been detained and will be charged with "organizing terrorist acts" and warned organized crime groups "not to dare to challenge the state".
Education was suspended in at least 45 schools in the city due to what local media described as "one of the biggest criminal attacks" in the state's history.
Footage shared on social media shows dozens of passengers throwing themselves out of the bus as gang members prepare to set it on fire, and thick black smoke rising into the sky.
Gang members burn buses, trucks in Brazil
Gangs reportedly set fire to at least 36 public buses, 4 trucks and 1 train in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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