Militariy police officers patrol during "Operation Containment" in Rio de Janeiro's Complexo da Penha on October 28. Mauro Pimentel/AFP/Getty Images

Armored vehicles rumbling through narrow alleys. Rifle shots cracking in heavy crossfire. Helicopters and weaponized drones firing from above. Soldiers in military gear engaged in violent combat. Bodies scattered on blood-slicked streets.

These could be scenes from a war zone.  But on October 28, they unfolded not on a desolate battlefield but on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro — a postcard city better known for its breathtaking coastline and lively bossa nova music scene.

“Operation Containment” brought 2,500 police officers, soldiers and snipers up the slopes of Rio’s Complexo da Penha and Complexo do Alemão favelas, home to roughly 110

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