The casualties continued piling up - eyewitness describes fatal Rio security action

Bruno Itan

A photographer who observed the aftermath of a massive law enforcement action in Rio de Janeiro has described how local people returned with disfigured remains of those who had died.

The victims "kept coming: the count kept increasing", the photographer reported. The total contained security forces.

One of the bodies had been decapitated - while others appeared "severely damaged", he explained. Numerous victims displayed evidence of stab wounds.

In excess of 120 victims were killed during the security action targeting an illegal organization - the most lethal operation the municipality has seen.

The eyewitness reported that residents first notified him concerning the action early on Tuesday by residents from the Alemão area, who sent him messages alerting him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The eyewitness traveled to a local medical facility, where the victims were coming in.

Itan explained that the police prevented journalists from entering the operation zone, where the security measures were taking place.

"Law enforcement personnel created a barrier and announced: 'Journalists are not allowed to pass'."

But Itan, who spent his childhood in that neighborhood, stated he succeeded to gain access past the security perimeter, where he remained until the next morning.

He reported that Tuesday night, local residents started looking the mountainous area that borders the community of Penha and the adjacent Alemão area for relatives who had been missing following the security action.

Community members from the Penha area organized the recovered bodies in a public space - the documented evidence display the reaction of the people there.

"The harsh reality of it all impacted me profoundly: the grief of loved ones, mothers fainting, pregnant wives, weeping, outraged parents," the photographer recalled.

Bruno Itan

The governor of the state stated that the massive police operation involving around 2,500 security personnel was aimed at halting an illegal organization called Comando Vermelho from growing their influence.

Initially, state authorities stated that sixty individuals and four police officers" had been killed in the raid.

Authorities later reported that early calculations shows that 117 individuals have been killed.

The legal assistance organization, that gives legal support to the poor, has put the total number of casualties at 132.

Per investigative findings, Red Command stands as the sole illegal faction which in recent years has succeeded to make territorial gains in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Experts commonly view as a major illegal faction in Brazil, together with First Capital Command, featuring a timeline spanning over five decades.

According to correspondent an expert, with extensive experience documenting illegal operations in Rio extensively, the criminal organization "works as a system" with neighborhood bosses joining the organization and serving as "business partners".

The criminal group engages primarily in illegal drug trade, but also smuggles firearms, precious metals, energy resources, alcohol cigarettes.

Based on official reports, organization members are well armed and police said that during the raid, they encountered resistance from explosive-laden drones.

The state leader of Rio state, Cláudio Castro, described organization participants as criminal extremists and described the security forces killed in the raid as brave public servants.

But the number of casualties in the operation has faced scrutiny with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stating they were "appalled".

At a news conference the following day, the state leader defended the police force.

"It wasn't our intention to cause fatalities. We intended to arrest them all alive," he declared.

He added that the events worsened as the individuals fought back: "It resulted of the retaliation they implemented and the excessive violence by the illegal group."

The official additionally stated that the victims presented by community members in the area had been "manipulated".

Via a statement through digital channels, he said that certain victims had been removed of military-style attire which he claimed they wore "to redirect responsibility toward law enforcement".

Felipe Curi of Rio's civil police force also said that "camouflage clothing, body armor, and weapons" had been removed from the victims and presented video apparently demonstrating an individual cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse