Police in El Salvador arrest 117 over gang activities

SAN SALVADOR: Police in El Salvador on Thursday arrested 117 people as they staged raids targeting gang members across the country, officials said.

Weapons and ammunition were seized in the operations, which were conducted in the departments of San Vicente, La Paz, Cabanas and elsewhere.

Street gangs have for years plagued El Salvador and other Central American countries like Guatemala.

Although rival gangs in El Salvador have supposedly observed a truce since 2012, the homicide rate in the country stands at 13 people per day, with police blaming most of the deaths on gang-related violence.

In El Salvador, the gangs are estimated to have 60,000 members out on the streets and another 10,000 in prison.