The victims kept arriving - eyewitness describes deadly Rio law enforcement operation

The eyewitness

An eyewitness who witnessed the results of a large-scale security raid in Rio de Janeiro has described how community members came back with disfigured remains of those who had died.

The casualties "kept coming: the numbers kept rising", Bruno Itan described. The total contained those of police officers.

A particular victim was discovered headless - others were "completely mutilated", he said. Numerous victims displayed evidence of knife injuries.

In excess of 120 victims were fatally injured in the Tuesday operation on a criminal gang - the bloodiest action in the city.

The eyewitness explained that residents first notified him to the raid early on Tuesday by residents living in Alemão, who reached out informing him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The reporter traveled to a local medical facility, where the bodies were coming in.

The photographer stated that the police stopped members of the press from accessing the operation zone, where the police action were taking place.

"Police officers created a barrier and said: 'Media representatives doesn't get past here'."

But Itan, who grew up in the area, reported he succeeded to gain access into the restricted zone, where he remained until the next morning.

He reported that evening, community members started looking the elevated terrain that separates the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for loved ones who had been missing since the police raid.

Local people of the Penha neighbourhood proceeded to place the recovered bodies in a square - the photographer's images show the reaction of those present.

"The violence of what occurred impacted me a lot: the sorrow of loved ones, mothers fainting, expectant spouses, weeping, furious relatives," the eyewitness remembered.

Bruno Itan

The governor of the region stated that the large-scale security action with approximately 2,500 security personnel was aimed at preventing a gang called Comando Vermelho from expanding its territory.

At first, state authorities maintained that "60 suspects plus four law enforcement personnel" had been killed in the raid.

Officials subsequently stated that early calculations indicates that 117 "suspects" were fatally injured.

The legal assistance organization, which provides legal assistance to the poor, has calculated the final tally of fatalities at 132.

Based on expert analysis, the criminal organization stands as the sole illegal faction that recently has been able to increase its control across the region.

Experts commonly view among the biggest criminal organizations in the country, together with another major gang, and has a history spanning over five decades.

Per reporter a specialist, who has long reported on illegal operations in Rio for years, the gang "operates like a franchise" with area gang leaders affiliating with the group and becoming "operational allies".

The gang concentrates largely on illegal drug trade, but also smuggles guns, precious metals, energy resources, liquor and tobacco.

Based on official reports, organization members have substantial firearms and police said that while the action was underway, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The state leader of the state, the government representative, characterized Red Command members as drug terrorists and described the four police officers killed in the raid as brave public servants.

But the number of casualties during the raid has received condemnation from UN human rights officials saying it was "appalled".

In a media appearance the next day, the state leader defended the police force.

"We did not plan to result in deaths. We intended to take suspects into custody without harm," he said.

He added that the circumstances had escalated because the suspects resisted aggressively: "It resulted of the retaliation they implemented and the disproportionate use of force by the illegal group."

The official also said that the casualties presented by community members in the area were "altered".

Via a statement on online platforms, he said that some of them had been stripped of military-style attire he said they had been wearing "in order to shift blame onto the police".

A law enforcement representative of Rio's civil police force further reported that military attire, protective equipment, and firearms" were taken away from the bodies and showed footage appearing to show a person stripping military attire {off a corpse