The casualties continued piling up - reporter shares deadly Rio security action

The photographer

A photographer who observed the aftermath of an extensive law enforcement action in Rio de Janeiro has recounted how local people brought back mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The bodies "kept coming: the count kept increasing", the eyewitness reported. They included security forces.

A particular victim was discovered headless - additional victims were "totally disfigured", he reported. Many also had what he described as knife injuries.

More than 120 people lost their lives in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the deadliest such raid the municipality has seen.

Bruno Itan stated that he initially learned to the raid Tuesday morning by residents of the Alemão neighbourhood, who reached out alerting him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The reporter traveled to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the casualties were coming in.

The photographer stated that the police prevented journalists from entering the affected area, where the operation were occurring.

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

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who was raised in that neighborhood, stated he succeeded to make his way past the security perimeter, where he stayed through the night.

He reported during the night, area inhabitants commenced searching the elevated terrain which divides the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for family members who were unaccounted for since the police raid.

Community members living in Penha proceeded to place the recovered bodies in a square - the documented evidence show the reaction of the people there.

"The violence of what occurred affected me deeply: the sorrow of loved ones, parents losing consciousness, expectant spouses, crying, furious relatives," the photographer recalled.

The eyewitness

The state leader of Rio state announced that the extensive law enforcement effort with approximately 2,500 security personnel was intended to stopping a criminal group referred to as Red Command from expanding its territory.

Originally, local officials claimed that "60 suspects and four police officers" lost their lives in the operation.

Officials subsequently stated that their "preliminary" count indicates that 117 "suspects" have been killed.

The public legal service, that offers legal help to the poor, has put the final tally of people killed as 132.

Based on expert analysis, Red Command stands as the sole illegal faction that in the past few years has managed to expand its territory throughout Rio state.

It is generally regarded one of the two largest gangs in Brazil, together with a rival criminal group, and has a history spanning over five decades.

Based on Brazilian journalist Rafael Soares, with extensive experience documenting criminal activity in the city for years, the gang "functions as a network" with area gang leaders joining the organization and becoming "business partners".

The organization focuses mainly on drug trafficking, while also dealing in guns, valuable minerals, petroleum products, liquor cigarettes.

According to the authorities, criminal affiliates possess significant weaponry and officials reported that during the raid, they faced assaults using drone-delivered explosives.

The state leader of Rio state, the political leader, labeled Red Command members as drug terrorists and called the law enforcement personnel killed in the raid as courageous individuals.

However, the count of casualties in the operation has come in for criticism with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stating they were "horrified".

At a news conference the following day, Governor Castro defended the police force.

"There was no objective to kill anyone. We intended to take suspects into custody without harm," he said.

He added that the situation had escalated due to the alleged criminals fought back: "It occurred of the counterattack they executed and the excessive violence by those criminals."

The governor further reported that the bodies presented by community members in the area were "altered".

Via a statement on online platforms, he claimed that some of them had been removed of tactical gear he said they had been wearing "to transfer accusation onto the police".

Felipe Curi from the police department additionally stated that "camouflage clothing, vests, and arms" were taken away from the bodies and displayed evidence apparently demonstrating a man removing tactical gear {off a corpse