El Salvador: 6 dead in alleged gang shooting

Six people were killed in a shootout at a bar in a popular area of San Salvador on Sunday which authorities have said was driven by a gang dispute.

Five of the victims were killed while drinking and playing dominoes, while the sixth was killed a few blocks away when he tried to escape.

Police said three of the victims were members of the Mara Salvatrucha gang.

El Salvador's National Civil Police Director Mauricio Arriaza told reporters one man had been arrested in connection with the attack.

Minister of Defense Francis Merino Monroy joined a military patrol in the area early Monday and said the suspect taken into custody was believed to be a local gang leader.

El Salvador has recorded some of the highest homicide rates in the world in recent years, largely because of gang violence.

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