As part of the ongoing fight against gangs, El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has ringed the whole central Cabanas department with soldiers and police.
A security fence has been built by 7,000 soldiers and 1,000 police officers, according to Mr. Bukele’s post.
Stopping gang members from fleeing and disrupting their supply routes are the goals.
Since a state of emergency was established in March 2022 due to an increase in gang-related murders, more over 70,000 alleged members have been detained.
One of the world’s most hazardous nations is the impoverished Central American country.
The dragnet of arrests has also resulted in the detention of thousands of individuals with no apparent connection to gang activities.
Concerns have also been raised regarding a new initiative by the nation’s parliament to permit mass trials.
President Bukele said that Cabanas, where gang members were hiding in the countryside, had “become the place with the largest number of terrorist cells” in a series of posts on X, formerly known as Twitter.
He emphasised that until “all the criminals” were arrested, the siege would not be lifted.
The president also asked visitors and locals to maintain their composure and go about their daily business.
According to the AFP news agency, soldiers-loaded lorries were spotted in the streets of the nearby towns of Tejutepeque and Ilobaso on Tuesday.
In the agricultural region of Cabanas, there are more than 160,000 residents.
Just over 1,000 sq km (390 sq miles) are covered by it.