About 4,000 soldiers and police laid siege on the cities of Apopa and Soyapango, El Salvador Wednesday to round up gangsters.

Entry points to the two cities have been sealed to prevent anyone from fleeing as police went house-to-house asking for identity documents and even rental contracts from residents.

Some officers took up positions in a small church, while others checked passing vehicles, an Agence France-Presse journalist observed.

Gangsters are often identified by their tattoos or IDs if they have police records. Locals typically know who they are, too, and might tip off the police.

"We are not going to stop until we capture the last remaining terrorist (gang member). We will not allow small remnants to regroup and take away the peace that has cost us so much," President Nayib Bukele said.

Defense Minister Rene Francis Merino said the operation "is a response to a call from the population indicating that there are some gang members trying to reorganize" in the area.

The new anti-gang raid came as Congress approved later that same day a nineteenth extension of the country's state of emergency.

Bukele imposed the state of emergency, which allows arrests without a warrant, after a particularly bloody weekend in March 2022 left 87 civilians dead at the hands of gang members.

Since then, about 73,000 alleged gang members have been arrested. More than 7,000 were later released.

In February, Bukele inaugurated a mega-prison considered the biggest in the Americas, with a capacity of 40,000, in central Tecoluca.

Bukele is expected to seek re-election in February 2024.