The bodies just kept coming - reporter shares fatal Rio police raid

The photographer

A reporter who documented the aftermath of a massive security raid in Rio de Janeiro has recounted how residents brought back mutilated bodies of people who lost their lives.

The bodies "continued arriving: the count kept increasing", the photographer reported. The total contained security forces.

One of the bodies was discovered headless - while others appeared "severely damaged", he reported. Many also had evidence of stab wounds.

In excess of 120 victims were fatally injured during the security action on a criminal gang - the most lethal operation the municipality has seen.

The photographer explained that he initially learned to the raid Tuesday morning by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who contacted him alerting him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The photographer traveled to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the victims were coming in.

The eyewitness reported that law enforcement stopped members of the press from accessing the operation zone, where the operation were occurring.

"Security forces created a barrier and declared: 'Journalists cannot proceed beyond this point'."

But Itan, who spent his childhood in that neighborhood, stated he was able to enter into the cordoned-off area, where he continued until the next morning.

He described that evening, community members began to search the mountainous area that borders Penha from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for loved ones who were unaccounted for since the police raid.

Community members from the Penha area proceeded to place the located casualties in a public space - and Itan's photos show the response of those present.

"The brutality of it all impacted me a lot: the sorrow of the families, parents losing consciousness, women carrying children, sobbing, outraged parents," the photographer recalled.

The eyewitness

The official of the region declared that the large-scale security action involving around 2,500 law enforcement members was designed to halting an illegal organization referred to as Red Command from expanding its territory.

Initially, the Rio state government maintained that "60 suspects and four police officers" had been killed during the action.

Officials subsequently stated that early calculations shows that 117 "suspects" lost their lives.

Rio's public defender's office, which provides legal assistance to disadvantaged individuals, has estimated the total number of people killed as 132.

Per investigative findings, Red Command represents the unique criminal entity which in recent years has managed to make territorial gains across the region.

It is widely considered one of the two largest gangs in the country, in company with another major gang, featuring a timeline extending half a century.

According to correspondent a specialist, who has been covering crime in Rio extensively, Red Command "functions as a network" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and acting as "operational allies".

The gang concentrates largely on drug trafficking, additionally trafficking guns, precious metals, energy resources, liquor smoking products.

According to the authorities, organization members are well armed and police said that throughout the operation, they faced assaults from explosive-laden drones.

The official of the state, the political leader, described gang affiliates as "narcoterrorists" and referred to the four police officers fatally injured in the action as brave public servants.

Nevertheless, the total of casualties in the security action has faced scrutiny from UN human rights officials expressing they felt "appalled".

During a press briefing the next day, Governor Castro justified security actions.

"We did not plan to kill anyone. We intended to arrest them all alive," he stated.

He continued that the situation had escalated due to the alleged criminals fought back: "It occurred of the counterattack they implemented and the disproportionate use of force from the gang members."

The state leader additionally stated that the bodies displayed by locals in Penha were "altered".

Through a message on online platforms, he said that particular individuals had been taken of military-style attire which he claimed they wore "in order to shift blame toward law enforcement".

Felipe Curi of Rio's civil police force additionally stated that tactical gear, body armor, and arms" had been removed from the casualties and showed footage apparently demonstrating a man removing tactical gear {off a corpse