The bodies just kept coming - photographer recounts fatal Rio law enforcement operation

The eyewitness

A reporter who witnessed the results of a large-scale Brazilian police operation in the metropolitan area has described how residents brought back disfigured remains of people who lost their lives.

The bodies "kept coming: the count kept increasing", the eyewitness stated. They included law enforcement personnel.

A particular victim was discovered headless - additional victims were "completely mutilated", he explained. Many also had what appeared to be stab wounds.

In excess of 120 victims were killed in the Tuesday operation against a criminal group - the bloodiest action Rio has experienced.

Bruno Itan explained that he was first alerted to the raid early on Tuesday by residents living in Alemão, who contacted him informing him gunfire had erupted.

The reporter went to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the casualties were arriving.

Itan explained that law enforcement blocked media personnel from accessing the Penha neighborhood, where the security measures were taking place.

"Security forces established a perimeter and announced: 'Media representatives are not allowed to pass'."

However, the photographer, who grew up in that neighborhood, reported he succeeded to enter into the cordoned-off area, where he continued through the night.

He described that evening, community members started looking the elevated terrain that separates Penha from the adjacent Alemão area for relatives who had been missing since the police raid.

Local people from the Penha area organized the located casualties in a public space - the documented evidence display the emotions of the people there.

"The violence of it all impacted me a lot: the sorrow of loved ones, parents losing consciousness, pregnant wives, weeping, outraged parents," the eyewitness remembered.

The eyewitness

The governor of Rio state stated that the large-scale security action involving around 2,500 security personnel was designed to halting a gang called the criminal faction from growing their influence.

At first, local officials maintained that sixty individuals and four police officers" had been killed in the raid.

They have since said that their "preliminary" count suggests that 117 individuals have been killed.

The public legal service, which provides legal assistance to the poor, has put the overall count of fatalities as 132.

Per investigative findings, Red Command represents the unique criminal entity which in recent years has managed to increase its control across the region.

Experts commonly view among the biggest criminal organizations in the country, alongside another major gang, with a background dating back more than 50 years.

Per reporter an expert, who has been covering crime in Rio extensively, the criminal organization "works as a system" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and becoming "operational allies".

The criminal group focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, additionally trafficking firearms, valuable minerals, energy resources, alcohol and tobacco.

Per law enforcement statements, criminal affiliates are well armed and authorities stated that throughout the operation, they faced assaults using drone-delivered explosives.

The official of the region, the government representative, described organization participants as drug terrorists and called the security forces who died during the operation as "heroes".

But the number of people killed in the security action has faced scrutiny with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights saying it was "shocked".

During a press briefing on Wednesday, the state leader defended the police force.

"We did not plan to cause fatalities. We wanted to take suspects into custody without harm," he stated.

He continued that the events intensified as the individuals resisted aggressively: "It occurred of the counterattack they implemented and the disproportionate use of force by those criminals."

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

Via a statement on online platforms, he claimed that some of them had been removed of tactical gear which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation toward law enforcement".

A police official representing security forces further reported that tactical gear, vests, and arms" were stripped from the bodies and presented video appearing to show an individual cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse