Four people have been shot dead in a new attack in Brazil’s indigenous country By Reuters

SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Four indigenous people, including a child, were shot dead during an attack in southern Brazil on Friday, state police and an indigenous rights group said on Saturday, as violence continued. increases in that area.

Gunmen opened fire on an Indian community near the town of Guaira, in the southern state of Parana, injuring four people, who were later hospitalized, police said.

This attack was aimed at the Avá Guarani people, who have been the victims of previous attacks since December 29, the Missionary Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIMI), an organization related to the Bishops’ Conference of K Catholic Brazil.

A four-year-old child who was shot in the leg was sent to a hospital near the city of Toledo, along with two other people, one of whom was hit in the back of the leg, CIMI said.

The organization said a fourth person, who was shot in the jaw, was sent to a hospital in Cascavel, one of the country’s largest cities.

The police said they have launched an investigation to track down the attackers, and added that the security forces of the state, federal and municipal were deployed to avoid new violence in the area, which has previously faced land disputes.

Two members of the Avá Guarani people were injured in the last days of 2024, CIMI said, while one was shot in the arm.

The Ministry of Public Affairs condemned the acts of violence against the people of Avá Guarani, saying that it is in consultation with the Ministry of Justice and Public Security for an immediate investigation of the armed groups operating in the area.