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In Video, El Salvador's Gangs Claim to be Ready for 'War' on Government

A masked gangster appears in the video condemning the government's anti-gang operation, while claiming the united coalition of rival gangs is ready for war if the authorities refuse.

In a newly released video, an allegedly now united force of El Salvador's gangs and organized criminals claims to be ready to wage war against the Central American country's government over its anti-gang campaign.

In the second such video to emerge in recent weeks, a gun-wielding, militant-esque individual, who claims to represent "united gangs and organized crime," reads a prepared speech condemning the government's anti-gang efforts. Flanked by an entourage of similarly dressed gangsters, the man says that if the government continues the campaign, the coalition is ready for "war."

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An earlier video featured a group of masked militants claiming to be a joint-force made up of members from the rival MS-13 and Barrio 18 gangs. In that video, they requested that fellow gang members be moved from a maximum-security prison in exchange for letting up on the devastating violence.

Related: El Salvador's Gang Truce Is Getting Fragile

El Salvador's government has said that the videos are fake, and produced by "trolls." The country's defense minister said the armed forces is investigating the clips.

According to an analysis from Insight Crime, the series of videos are unusual for El Salvador's criminal networks — particularly the confrontational sentiments. The organized crime watchdog explained that in the past, gangs have opted for a more diplomatic tone, even participating in peace talks. While domestic authorities claim the videos are fake, Insight Crime notes that they is clearly evidence of someone attempt to push back against El Salvador's anti-gang efforts.

The aggressive video comes just days after El Salvador registered May as the country's deadliest month in 20 years. A total of 635 homicides occurred during the month, believed to be the most since the country's violent, decade-long civil war that ended in 1992.

This year, more than 1,200 people were murdered between January 1 and May 18. In March, the country tallied about 15 homicides a day.

Officials said a majority of the killings in May occurred during turf battles between gangs involved in drug trafficking and extortion, the Associated Press reported. An estimated 60 percent of those murdered were killed at the hands of rival gangs or even members of the same criminal group, according to police.

The gangs' anger over the recent transfer of 2,600 imprisoned members, who were moved to a maximum-security facility, has been cited as a reason for an increase in violence. The relocated inmates include high-level gang members who lost many of the benefits they received in other facilities.

During a gang truce in place in 2012 and 2013 the homicide rate in El Salvador dropped, but murders have been on the rise since the agreement fell apart.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.