The casualties continued piling up - eyewitness describes lethal Rio police raid

The photographer

A photographer who witnessed the consequences of a massive law enforcement action in Rio de Janeiro has recounted how local people brought back disfigured remains of people who lost their lives.

The victims "kept piling up: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", Bruno Itan reported. They included law enforcement personnel.

One of the bodies was discovered headless - while others appeared "totally disfigured", he said. Numerous victims displayed what appeared to be knife injuries.

In excess of 120 victims lost their lives in the Tuesday operation against a criminal group - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen.

The eyewitness explained that he initially learned concerning the action early on Tuesday by residents of the Alemão neighbourhood, who contacted him alerting him there was a shoot-out.

The reporter went to the healthcare center, where the bodies were being brought.

Itan explained that security forces blocked media personnel from accessing the affected area, where the operation were taking place.

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

However, the photographer, who was raised in the area, reported he managed to gain access past the security perimeter, where he remained through the night.

He explained that evening, local residents began to search the elevated terrain that borders Penha from the adjacent Alemão area for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown since the police raid.

Community members living in Penha organized the recovered bodies in a public space - the photographer's images show the emotions of those present.

"The violence of what occurred impacted me deeply: the sorrow of loved ones, mothers fainting, expectant spouses, sobbing, outraged parents," the photographer recalled.

The photographer

The state leader of the region stated that the extensive law enforcement effort involving around 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at halting a criminal group known as the criminal faction from expanding its territory.

Originally, state authorities maintained that "60 suspects along with four officers" had been killed in the operation.

They have since said that early calculations indicates that 117 "suspects" have been killed.

The legal assistance organization, which provides legal assistance to low-income residents, has put the overall count of people killed at 132.

Based on expert analysis, Red Command stands as the sole illegal faction that recently has succeeded to increase its control across the region.

It is widely considered among the biggest criminal organizations in Brazil, together with another major gang, featuring a timeline extending half a century.

Per Brazilian journalist an expert, with extensive experience documenting crime in Rio over many years, Red Command "works as a system" with neighborhood bosses forming part of the gang and serving as "business partners".

The criminal group engages primarily in illegal drug trade, additionally trafficking firearms, valuable minerals, fuel, alcohol smoking products.

Per law enforcement statements, criminal affiliates possess significant weaponry and police said that while the action was underway, they came under attack via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The state leader of the state, the political leader, labeled Red Command members as criminal extremists and described the four police officers killed in the raid as brave public servants.

However, the count of fatalities in the security action has come in for criticism from international human rights authorities expressing they felt "horrified".

At a news conference the following day, the official justified security actions.

"We did not plan to result in deaths. We intended to detain everyone safely," he said.

He added that the situation intensified due to the alleged criminals fought back: "It resulted of the retaliation they implemented and the excessive violence from the gang members."

The official further reported that the casualties shown by residents in Penha had been "manipulated".

Through a message on online platforms, he asserted that some of them had been taken of military-style attire which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation onto the police".

Felipe Curi representing security forces also said that military attire, vests, and arms" had been removed from the victims and displayed evidence apparently demonstrating a man stripping military attire {off a corpse