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

The photographer

A photographer who documented the consequences of a massive Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has described how local people brought back disfigured remains of people who lost their lives.

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

One of the bodies was found without a head - additional victims were "totally disfigured", he reported. Many also had what he described as blade trauma.

More than 120 people lost their lives in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the deadliest such raid the municipality has seen.

The eyewitness explained that he initially learned concerning the action Tuesday morning by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who reached out alerting him there was a shoot-out.

The reporter went to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the bodies were coming in.

Itan explained that law enforcement stopped members of the press from accessing the Penha neighborhood, where the operation was under way.

"Security forces formed a line and announced: 'Journalists are not allowed to pass'."

However, the photographer, who spent his childhood in the area, explained he succeeded to enter into the cordoned-off area, where he remained until the next morning.

He described that Tuesday night, area inhabitants began to search the elevated terrain that borders the community of Penha and the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for relatives who were unaccounted for after the operation.

Residents from the Penha area arranged the located casualties in a square - the documented evidence reveal the emotions of the people there.

"The violence of what occurred impacted me a lot: the sorrow of loved ones, mothers fainting, pregnant wives, weeping, furious relatives," the photographer recalled.

Bruno Itan

The governor of the state announced that the large-scale security action deploying about 2,500 officers was designed to stopping a criminal group known as Comando Vermelho from expanding its territory.

At first, the Rio state government maintained that sixty alleged criminals and four police officers" were fatally injured in the operation.

Authorities later reported that their "preliminary" count suggests that 117 individuals lost their lives.

The public legal service, that offers legal help to the poor, has put the final tally of people killed as 132.

Based on expert analysis, Red Command stands as the sole illegal faction that in the past few years 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, with a background dating back more than 50 years.

Per reporter a specialist, who has been covering illegal operations in Rio over many years, Red Command "functions as a network" with neighborhood bosses joining the organization and acting as "commercial associates".

The gang focuses mainly on drug trafficking, while also dealing in firearms, valuable minerals, energy resources, alcohol cigarettes.

Per law enforcement statements, gang members are well armed and officials reported that during the raid, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The official of the state, the political leader, characterized gang affiliates as "narcoterrorists" and called the security forces who died during the operation as brave public servants.

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

In a media appearance the following day, Governor Castro supported law enforcement.

"It wasn't our intention to kill anyone. We intended to detain everyone safely," he declared.

He added that the situation worsened due to the alleged criminals had retaliated: "It resulted of the retaliation they carried out and the excessive violence by those criminals."

The official also said that the bodies shown by residents in the area were "altered".

In a post through digital channels, he said that particular individuals had been taken of tactical gear that he stated they possessed "to redirect responsibility onto the police".

Felipe Curi from the police department further reported that military attire, protective equipment, and arms" were stripped from the casualties and presented video appearing to show a person stripping military attire {off a corpse