San Salvador, Oct 6 (EFE).– The severed head of a Salvadoran police sergeant was found Tuesday on a bridge in the town of Apopa, 12 kilometers (7 miles) north of this capital, authorities said.

The Attorney General’s Office identified the victim as Baltazar Olayzola Diaz, a member of the Soyapango municipal police whose death brings to 49 the number of officers murdered in 2015.

Meanwhile, National Civil Police chief Mauricio Ramirez Landaverde told reporters that Olayzola Diaz had been discharged from the force the day before and the circumstances of his murder are not known.

“We presume that he was (kidnapped on Monday) and that during the nighttime or morning hours the head was placed at the site,” he said.

He added that the remainder of the body has not yet been found and that authorities are investigating the matter so that the perpetrators “do not continue to enjoy impunity.”

In addition to the 49 police officers killed this year, 17 Salvadoran soldiers and a chief prosecutor have also been murdered.

According to the Salvadoran government, the attacks on the security forces are being staged by “violent” gangs as a way to “force” the government to negotiate providing privileges for their imprisoned leaders. EFE