Updated

Brazilian police and military are serving dozens of arrest warrants in northern Rio de Janeiro as part of efforts to combat rising violence in the city.

In recent weeks, a series of intense shootouts led Brazilian authorities to ask the military to help patrol the perimeter of Rocinha, Rio's largest slum. Police said Friday's operation in Morro dos Macacos was related to ongoing efforts to combat violence in Rocinha.

On Twitter, Civil Police said its officers as well as those from the military police and the army were fanning out in the neighborhood to serve 31 arrest warrants. So far, six people have been arrested.

Rio has long struggled with crime, but amid a national economic crisis, it is experiencing its worst wave of violence in a decade.