The casualties continued piling up - eyewitness describes deadly Rio law enforcement operation

Bruno Itan

An eyewitness who documented the results of a massive security raid in the metropolitan area has described how local people came back with disfigured remains of the deceased individuals.

The casualties "kept piling up: the numbers kept rising", the photographer reported. They included law enforcement personnel.

One individual was found without a head - while others appeared "completely mutilated", he reported. Numerous victims displayed what appeared to be knife injuries.

Over 120 individuals were killed during the security action targeting an illegal organization - the bloodiest action in the city.

Bruno Itan explained that residents first notified him concerning the action Tuesday morning by residents of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages informing him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The photographer went to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the bodies were coming in.

The photographer stated that security forces blocked media personnel from entering the operation zone, where the operation were taking place.

"Police officers formed a line and declared: 'Journalists cannot proceed beyond this point'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who grew up in the area, reported he was able to enter into the restricted zone, where he continued until dawn.

He described that Tuesday night, local residents commenced searching the hillside that separates the Penha neighborhood from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for loved ones whose whereabouts were unknown since the police raid.

Residents from the Penha area proceeded to place the located casualties in a public space - the documented evidence show the emotions of the people there.

"The brutality of the situation affected me profoundly: the grief of relatives, mothers fainting, expectant spouses, crying, furious relatives," the photographer recalled.

Bruno Itan

The governor of the region declared that the extensive law enforcement effort involving around 2,500 law enforcement members was designed to stopping a gang called the criminal faction from increasing their control.

At first, local officials claimed that "60 suspects plus four law enforcement personnel" had been killed during the action.

Officials subsequently stated that initial estimates indicates that 117 "suspects" were fatally injured.

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to the poor, has calculated the total number of people killed at 132.

According to researchers, the gang is the only criminal group which in recent years has managed to expand its territory across the region.

Experts commonly view as a major illegal faction in Brazil, alongside First Capital Command, with a background extending half a century.

Based on reporter Rafael Soares, who has been covering crime in Rio extensively, Red Command "functions as a network" with area gang leaders forming part of the gang and serving as "operational allies".

The organization engages primarily in narcotics distribution, but also smuggles weapons, valuable minerals, energy resources, alcohol smoking products.

Per law enforcement statements, criminal affiliates are well armed and police said that while the action was underway, they faced assaults via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The governor of the region, the government representative, characterized organization participants as criminal extremists and referred to the law enforcement personnel fatally injured in the action as courageous individuals.

Nevertheless, the total of fatalities during the raid has faced scrutiny with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights saying it was "appalled".

At a news conference on Wednesday, Governor Castro justified security actions.

"There was no objective to cause fatalities. We intended to take suspects into custody without harm," he stated.

He continued that the events had escalated as the individuals fought back: "It resulted of the counterattack they executed and the excessive violence by those criminals."

The official also said that the bodies presented by community members in the neighborhood were "altered".

In a post on online platforms, he asserted that particular individuals had been removed of military-style attire that he stated they possessed "to redirect responsibility onto the police".

A police official representing security forces further reported that military attire, vests, and weapons" were stripped from the bodies and presented video apparently demonstrating a person removing tactical gear {off a corpse