The victims kept arriving - reporter shares deadly Rio police raid

The eyewitness

A photographer who documented the consequences of a large-scale Brazilian police operation in the Brazilian city has reported how local people came back with mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The victims "kept coming: the count kept increasing", the eyewitness described. They included those of police officers.

One individual was discovered headless - additional victims were "severely damaged", he reported. Several bodies showed evidence of knife injuries.

Over 120 individuals were killed during the security action targeting an illegal organization - the most lethal operation in the city.

The photographer stated that residents first notified him to the raid early on Tuesday by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who reached out alerting him an armed confrontation was occurring.

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

The eyewitness reported that law enforcement blocked media personnel from entering the Penha neighborhood, where the security measures was under way.

"Law enforcement personnel established a perimeter and announced: 'Media representatives are not allowed to pass'."

But Itan, who grew up in that neighborhood, reported he managed to enter into the restricted zone, where he remained until the next morning.

He reported during the night, local residents began to search the hillside that separates Penha from the adjacent Alemão area for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown after the operation.

Residents of the Penha neighbourhood arranged the recovered bodies in a public space - and Itan's photos display the response of those present.

"The violence of what occurred shook me profoundly: the pain of the families, mothers fainting, pregnant wives, weeping, angry family members," the photographer recalled.

Bruno Itan

The state leader of Rio state declared that the massive police operation deploying about 2,500 officers was aimed at halting a gang called Red Command from expanding its territory.

Originally, the Rio state government stated that "60 suspects along with four officers" lost their lives in the raid.

Officials subsequently stated that early calculations indicates that 117 individuals have been killed.

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to the poor, has put the total number of casualties as 132.

According to researchers, Red Command stands as the sole illegal faction that recently has succeeded to expand its territory across the region.

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

According to Brazilian journalist Rafael Soares, who has long reported on illegal operations in Rio for years, Red Command "functions as a network" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and becoming "operational allies".

The organization focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, additionally trafficking firearms, precious metals, petroleum products, beverages cigarettes.

According to the authorities, criminal affiliates are well armed and police said that while the action was underway, they encountered resistance using drone-delivered explosives.

The official of the state, Cláudio Castro, characterized organization participants as drug terrorists and described the four police officers who died during the operation as "heroes".

Nevertheless, the total of people killed in the operation has come in for criticism from UN human rights officials saying it was "appalled".

At a news conference the following day, the official supported law enforcement.

"It wasn't our intention to kill anyone. We aimed to arrest them all alive," he said.

He added that the circumstances worsened due to the alleged criminals resisted aggressively: "It occurred of the retaliation they implemented and the disproportionate use of force from the gang members."

The governor additionally stated that the victims displayed by locals in Penha had been "manipulated".

Via a statement on social media, he claimed that particular individuals had been stripped of tactical gear he said they had been wearing "to redirect responsibility to security forces".

Felipe Curi from the police department further reported that military attire, vests, and firearms" were taken away from the bodies and showed footage seemingly depicting a person cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse