Police officer on duty (symbol image)
Photo: YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP
At least three people were killed in bank robberies by heavily armed criminals in Araçatuba in southeastern Brazil.
The dead were two residents of the city in the state of São Paulo and one of the alleged criminals, as reported by the news portal "G1" and news agencies, citing the police.
At least four people were injured and three suspects were arrested.
Explosions and fires
About 20 criminals reportedly raided three banks.
On the run they took hostages;
videos on the Internet showed people tied to cars as living shields.
To obstruct the security forces, the attackers set off explosions and set vehicles on fire.
The mayor and police called on residents to stay home.
At first nothing was known about the amount of the booty.
Raids of this kind, in which gangs strike in small and medium-sized cities, have been increasing in Brazil for years.
About 200,000 people live in Araçatuba.
ptz / dpa / AP / Reuters
