Police reported a total of 62 homicides on Saturday, making it the most violent day in nearly three decades in the Central American country.

“Almost 600 catches in just TWO days… And the EXCEPTION REGIME lasts 30 days, extendable! And don't think they'll go free,” Bukele tweeted.

Casi 600 capturas en solo DOS días…

Y el RÉGIMEN DE EXCEPCIÓN dura 30 días, prorrogables!

Y no crean que saldrán libres. https://t.co/5cl2AMYhn4

— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) March 28, 2022

Approximately 70,000 gang members operate in El Salvador, according to local media sources.

They exert control over territory and extort and gather intelligence on residents and those passing through, particularly around public transit, schools, and markets.

The gang-plagued nation registered 1,140 murders in 2021 – which equates to 18 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants -- fewer than the 1,341 registered the previous year and the lowest figure since the end of the civil war in 1992.

The MS-13 and Barrio-18 gangs, among others, are mainly responsible for homicides, extortion, and drug trafficking, according to the officials. (ILKHA)