Street gangs are fighting a pitched battle in the Ciudad Real district of the Guatemalan capital, leaving dead and 25 wounded in the last few days.

Insidecostarica.com | Costa Rica Daily News and Information: "Street gangs are fighting a pitched battle in the Ciudad Real district of the Guatemalan capital, leaving dead and 25 wounded in the last few days.

Two of the shoot-outs reported by police include a clash between rival gangs and a direct attack on a gang member in a sports field.

The gangs are fighting over turf, mostly for the extortion of merchants and the owners and employees of passenger transport.

These battles intensified after prison authorities eliminated the electrical connections used by jailed gang members to recharge their illegal cell phones.

The move prevents gang chieftains from communicating with their people on the outside, now involved in the turf battle.



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