The bodies just kept coming - reporter shares lethal Rio law enforcement operation

Bruno Itan

An eyewitness who observed the results of a large-scale law enforcement action in the Brazilian city has recounted how residents returned with mutilated bodies of people who lost their lives.

The victims "kept coming: the numbers kept rising", the photographer stated. Among them were those of police officers.

A particular victim had been decapitated - while others appeared "completely mutilated", he reported. Several bodies showed what he described as stab wounds.

In excess of 120 victims were killed during Tuesday's raid against a criminal group - the bloodiest action in the city.

Bruno Itan stated that he initially learned concerning the action in the early hours by local people living in Alemão, who sent him messages telling him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The eyewitness made his way to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the casualties were coming in.

The photographer stated that security forces stopped members of the press from entering the Penha neighborhood, where the police action was under way.

"Security forces established a perimeter and said: 'The press are not allowed to pass'."

However, the photographer, who was raised in that neighborhood, explained he was able to make his way past the security perimeter, where he remained through the night.

He reported that Tuesday night, area inhabitants commenced searching the hillside that borders Penha from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for relatives who had been missing following the security action.

Local people of the Penha neighbourhood arranged the located casualties in a public space - and Itan's photos reveal the reaction of the gathered crowd.

"The harsh reality of it all impacted me deeply: the sorrow of the families, women collapsing, expectant spouses, weeping, furious relatives," the reporter recounted.

Bruno Itan

The state leader of the region stated that the massive police operation involving around 2,500 security personnel was designed to halting a gang referred to as the criminal faction from growing their influence.

Initially, state authorities claimed that "60 suspects plus four law enforcement personnel" were fatally injured in the raid.

Authorities later reported that initial estimates suggests that 117 alleged criminals were fatally injured.

The legal assistance organization, that gives legal support to disadvantaged individuals, has put the overall count of fatalities at 132.

Based on expert analysis, Red Command stands as the sole illegal faction that recently has managed to make territorial gains in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is generally regarded one of the two largest gangs in Brazil, in company with another major gang, featuring a timeline spanning over five decades.

Based on reporter Rafael Soares, who has been covering criminal activity in the city extensively, the gang "works as a system" with area gang leaders affiliating with the group and becoming "operational allies".

The criminal group engages primarily in narcotics distribution, while also dealing in firearms, precious metals, energy resources, beverages cigarettes.

Per law enforcement statements, criminal affiliates have substantial firearms and officials reported that throughout the operation, they faced assaults from explosive-laden drones.

The official of Rio state, the political leader, labeled Red Command members as criminal extremists and referred to the law enforcement personnel fatally injured in the action as courageous individuals.

Nevertheless, the total of casualties during the raid has come in for criticism with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights saying it was "shocked".

In a media appearance the next day, the official supported law enforcement.

"It wasn't our intention to cause fatalities. We wanted to detain everyone safely," he stated.

He further explained that the situation worsened because the suspects fought back: "It resulted of the resistance they carried out and the overwhelming response from the gang members."

The governor also said that the bodies shown by residents in Penha were "altered".

Via a statement on online platforms, he claimed that some of them had been taken of military-style attire which he claimed they wore "to redirect responsibility onto the police".

A law enforcement representative of Rio's civil police force further reported that tactical gear, body armor, and weapons" were stripped from the victims and showed footage seemingly depicting a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse