El Salvador: 10,000 Troops Surround Gang-Run Town as Nayib Bukele Intensifies Gang Crackdown

El Salvador President Nayib Bukele's crackdown on violent gangs intensified as the government sent approximately 10,000 soldiers and police to besiege another town rife with gang activity.

According to the Associated Press, this was one of El Salvador's largest mobilizations against violent street gangs so far. They besieged the township of Soyapango, a suburb of the capital, San Salvador. The town is reportedly ruled by various street gangs that have extorted money from businesses and ruled many neighborhoods for a long time.

The BBC reported that police had blocked roads, and El Salvadoran special forces had been moving from house to house in search of gang members. Everyone attempting to leave the city is checked for identification documents.

El Salvador President Nayib Bukele Talks About Soldiers Besieging Gang-Held Town

The operation was part of what Nayib Bukele calls "Phase Five" of the crackdown, which has already been going on for nine months. The president even confirmed on social media that the town was "completely surrounded" and posted videos on his Twitter account showing ranks of rifle-toting soldiers.

Bukele added that "8,500 soldiers and 1,500 agents have surrounded the city, while extraction teams from the police and the army are tasked with extricating all the gang members still there one by one."

According to reports, MS-13 and another gang, the Barrio 18, control much of the town and its population of about 300,000 people. According to Al Jazeera, the town was previously considered impenetrable to law enforcement.

Bukele assured "ordinary people" that they had nothing to fear during the siege, that the operation was only going after criminals, and that the soldiers would not go after honest citizens.

A citizen noted that this was a "welcome surprise," adding that "they search you and ask for your identity papers to verify where you live, but that's fine - it's all for our safety."

El Salvador President Nayib Bukele and His Crackdown Against Gangs

The gang crackdown in El Salvador started in March when President Nayib Bukele announced a state of emergency for the entire country.

More than 58,000 people have been imprisoned so far, and many rights have been suspended as the government employed heavy-handed tactics against these street gangs, the most infamous of which is MS-13.

Police arrested suspected gang leaders without warrants, leading to arbitrary detentions. During All Souls' Day, Bukele also ordered inmates to destroy the gravestones of dead gang members in an effort to prevent them from gathering around their fallen comrades.

So far, human rights groups have criticized this heavy-handed approach, with many claiming that unjustified detentions have filled Bukele's war on gangs.

The crackdown against these violent street gangs was a response to a wave of violence that hit El Salvador, and gang violence was largely blamed for the country tallying 62 murders in a single day that happened on March 26. A few days later, Bukele placed the country in a state of emergency, suspending some human rights.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: El Salvador Deploys 10,000 Troops to Gang-Run Capital Suburb - From Al Jazeera English