The bodies just kept coming - eyewitness describes fatal Rio law enforcement operation

Bruno Itan

A photographer who observed the aftermath of a large-scale law enforcement action in Rio de Janeiro has described how residents came back with disfigured remains of people who lost their lives.

The bodies "kept coming: the count kept increasing", the photographer described. The total contained security forces.

One of the bodies had been decapitated - additional victims were "severely damaged", he said. Several bodies showed what he described as knife injuries.

Over 120 individuals lost their lives during the security action on a criminal gang - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen.

Bruno Itan explained that he initially learned about the operation Tuesday morning by community members from the Alemão area, who contacted him alerting him gunfire had erupted.

The eyewitness went to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the casualties were being brought.

Itan explained that law enforcement prevented journalists from going into the Penha neighborhood, where the security measures were occurring.

"Police officers created a barrier and declared: 'The press cannot proceed beyond this point'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who grew up in the community, explained he was able to gain access past the security perimeter, where he stayed until the next morning.

He reported during the night, local residents commenced searching the mountainous area that separates the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for relatives who had been missing since the police raid.

Residents of the Penha neighbourhood proceeded to place the recovered bodies in a public space - the photographer's images show the reaction of those present.

"The harsh reality of the situation affected me profoundly: the grief of loved ones, mothers fainting, expectant spouses, sobbing, angry family members," the reporter recounted.

The photographer

The governor of the state announced that the large-scale security action deploying about 2,500 security personnel was aimed at preventing a gang called Comando Vermelho from expanding its territory.

Initially, the Rio state government claimed that "60 suspects along with four officers" were fatally injured during the action.

Officials subsequently stated that their "preliminary" count shows that 117 "suspects" have been killed.

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

Per investigative findings, the gang represents the unique criminal entity which in recent years has succeeded to increase its control in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Experts commonly view as a major illegal faction nationally, alongside First Capital Command, with a background spanning over five decades.

According to correspondent a specialist, with extensive experience documenting criminal activity in the city extensively, the criminal organization "works as a system" with neighborhood bosses forming part of the gang and becoming "commercial associates".

The criminal group focuses mainly on drug trafficking, but also smuggles weapons, precious metals, energy resources, beverages smoking products.

Per law enforcement statements, gang members have substantial firearms and officials reported that during the raid, they came under attack via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The official of the state, the political leader, described organization participants as "narcoterrorists" and described the law enforcement personnel killed in the raid as brave public servants.

However, the count of casualties in the operation has come in for criticism from international human rights authorities expressing they felt "appalled".

During a press briefing the following day, Governor Castro supported law enforcement.

"There was no objective to kill anyone. We intended to take suspects into custody without harm," he said.

He continued that the events worsened because the suspects resisted aggressively: "It resulted of the resistance they executed and the overwhelming response by those criminals."

The governor further reported that the victims presented by community members in the neighborhood were "altered".

In a post on social media, he said that particular individuals had been taken of military-style attire that he stated they possessed "in order to shift blame toward law enforcement".

Felipe Curi from the police department further reported that "camouflage clothing, body armor, and firearms" were taken away from the victims and displayed evidence apparently demonstrating an individual stripping military attire {off a corpse