The threat of a sustained increase in violence in El Salvador after a comparative improvement over the last year is hanging in the air. The country saw its two most violent days of the year on 23 and 27 September with 40 and 34 homicides respectively. President Salvador Sánchez Cerén, chairing a meeting of the national security council (CNSCC), expressed “regret” at the “surge of homicides”, which includes a record number of members of the security forces. But if the director of the national police force (PNC), Howard Cotto, is right this could soon get a lot worse as the country’s main mara street gangs are apparently poised to unite to coordinate attacks on the security forces and public officials.End of preview - This article contains approximately 686 words.
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