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

The photographer

An eyewitness who observed the consequences of an extensive law enforcement action in Rio de Janeiro has described how residents brought back mutilated bodies of those who had died.

The bodies "continued arriving: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the photographer described. The total contained those of police officers.

A particular victim was discovered headless - additional victims were "totally disfigured", he said. Numerous victims displayed what he described as blade trauma.

In excess of 120 victims were killed during Tuesday's raid targeting an illegal organization - the most lethal operation in the city.

Bruno Itan stated that he initially learned concerning the action early on Tuesday by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages informing him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The eyewitness made his way to the healthcare center, where the casualties were arriving.

The photographer stated that the police prevented journalists from entering the Penha neighborhood, where the security measures were taking place.

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

But Itan, who spent his childhood in the community, reported he succeeded to make his way into the cordoned-off area, where he remained until dawn.

He explained during the night, local residents started looking the hillside that borders the community of Penha and the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for family members who had been missing following the security action.

Community members of the Penha neighbourhood organized the located casualties in a public space - the photographer's images display the reaction of the gathered crowd.

"The violence of the situation impacted me profoundly: the pain of loved ones, parents losing consciousness, women carrying children, weeping, angry family members," the eyewitness remembered.

Bruno Itan

The governor of the region declared that the massive police operation involving around 2,500 officers was intended to preventing an illegal organization known as Red Command from expanding its territory.

Originally, state authorities claimed that "60 suspects and four police officers" were fatally injured in the operation.

Officials subsequently stated that their "preliminary" count shows that 117 "suspects" were fatally injured.

The legal assistance organization, which provides legal assistance to low-income residents, has calculated the final tally of people killed as 132.

Per investigative findings, Red Command stands as the sole illegal faction which in recent years has been able to increase its control across the region.

It is widely considered one of the two largest gangs nationally, together with a rival criminal group, with a background extending half a century.

Per reporter Rafael Soares, with extensive experience documenting criminal activity in the city over many years, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with local criminal leaders affiliating with the group and becoming "operational allies".

The criminal group concentrates largely on drug trafficking, while also dealing in guns, precious metals, petroleum products, beverages smoking products.

According to the authorities, organization members have substantial firearms and authorities stated that while the action was underway, they faced assaults using drone-delivered explosives.

The official of Rio state, the government representative, labeled organization participants as "narcoterrorists" and described the law enforcement personnel killed in the raid as "heroes".

But the number of fatalities during the raid has come in for criticism from international human rights authorities expressing they felt "horrified".

In a media appearance the following day, the official defended the police force.

"We did not plan to result in deaths. We intended to arrest them all alive," he stated.

He added that the circumstances intensified due to the alleged criminals had retaliated: "It occurred of the resistance they carried out and the disproportionate use of force by those criminals."

The state leader further reported that the bodies shown by residents in the area had been "tampered with".

Via a statement through digital channels, he claimed that some of them had been removed of tactical gear which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation to security forces".

Felipe Curi from the police department also said that "camouflage clothing, vests, and arms" were stripped from the casualties and displayed evidence appearing to show a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse