🔗 Share this article The bodies just kept coming - reporter shares lethal Rio law enforcement operation The eyewitness Multiple casualties were arranged in a square in Penha following the most lethal operation the municipality has experienced A reporter who observed the aftermath of an extensive Brazilian police operation in the metropolitan area has reported how local people brought back mutilated bodies of those who had died. The casualties "kept piling up: the numbers kept rising", Bruno Itan reported. Among them were those of police officers. A particular victim was discovered headless - others were "completely mutilated", he said. Numerous victims displayed what he described as knife injuries. In excess of 120 victims were fatally injured during the security action against a criminal group - the most lethal operation in the city. In excess of 100 suspects were arrested as part of the security raid The photographer stated that residents first notified him concerning the action Tuesday morning by residents from the Alemão area, who contacted him telling him gunfire had erupted. The reporter went to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the casualties were arriving. The eyewitness reported that the police prevented journalists from accessing the operation zone, where the security measures were taking place. "Security forces created a barrier and announced: 'The press are not allowed to pass'." Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who grew up in the area, explained he managed to gain access into the cordoned-off area, where he continued until the next morning. He explained that Tuesday night, area inhabitants commenced searching the elevated terrain which divides the Penha neighborhood from the neighboring Alemão community for loved ones whose whereabouts were unknown following the security action. Residents from the Penha area arranged the discovered victims in a public space - the photographer's images display the emotions of those present. "The violence of the situation impacted me a lot: the grief of relatives, parents losing consciousness, expectant spouses, weeping, outraged parents," the reporter recounted. Bruno Itan There was trauma in Penha as locals recovered increasing numbers of casualties from the nearby hillside The state leader of Rio state announced that the large-scale security action involving around 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at halting a gang called the criminal faction from growing their influence. At first, local officials claimed that "60 suspects and four police officers" were fatally injured in the operation. They have since said that early calculations shows that 117 individuals were fatally injured. The legal assistance organization, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has put the final tally of fatalities as 132. Per investigative findings, Red Command is the only criminal group which in recent years has managed to expand its territory throughout Rio state. It is generally regarded among the biggest criminal organizations in Brazil, in company with another major gang, featuring a timeline dating back more than 50 years. According to reporter Rafael Soares, who has been covering criminal activity in the city for years, Red Command "operates like a franchise" with local criminal leaders joining the organization and serving as "business partners". The criminal group concentrates largely on drug trafficking, additionally trafficking weapons, precious metals, petroleum products, liquor cigarettes. Based on official reports, organization members are well armed and officials reported that during the raid, they faced assaults via weaponized unmanned aircraft. The state leader of the state, the political leader, characterized Red Command members as "narcoterrorists" and described the security forces who died during the operation as courageous individuals. Nevertheless, the total of fatalities during the raid has come in for criticism from international human rights authorities saying it was "appalled". During a press briefing the following day, the official justified security actions. "We did not plan to result in deaths. We intended to take suspects into custody without harm," he stated. He continued that the events worsened as the individuals resisted aggressively: "It resulted of the retaliation they implemented and the overwhelming response by the illegal group." The state leader further reported that the casualties presented by community members in the neighborhood had been "tampered with". Via a statement through digital channels, he claimed that some of them had been taken of military-style attire he said they had been wearing "to transfer accusation toward law enforcement". A law enforcement representative of Rio's civil police force also said that tactical gear, body armor, and firearms" were stripped from the bodies and displayed evidence appearing to show an individual removing tactical gear {off a corpse