The casualties continued piling up - eyewitness describes fatal Rio security action

Bruno Itan

An eyewitness who witnessed the results of a massive law enforcement action in Rio de Janeiro has described how local people came back with disfigured remains of people who lost their lives.

The victims "continued arriving: the numbers kept rising", the photographer stated. Among them were security forces.

A particular victim was discovered headless - while others appeared "completely mutilated", he reported. Numerous victims displayed evidence of stab wounds.

More than 120 people were fatally injured during Tuesday's raid targeting an illegal organization - the most lethal operation in the city.

Bruno Itan stated that he was first alerted about the operation in the early hours by local people from the Alemão area, who sent him messages alerting him gunfire had erupted.

The reporter went to the healthcare center, where the bodies were being brought.

Itan explained that law enforcement stopped members of the press from going into the operation zone, where the police action were taking place.

"Security forces established a perimeter and announced: 'Media representatives doesn't get past here'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who was raised in the area, explained he was able to make his way into the restricted zone, where he remained until the next morning.

He explained that evening, community members commenced searching the mountainous area that separates Penha from the adjacent Alemão area for loved ones who had been missing since the police raid.

Local people of the Penha neighbourhood arranged the discovered victims in a square - the documented evidence reveal the response of the people there.

"The violence of the situation affected me deeply: the pain of loved ones, women collapsing, expectant spouses, crying, angry family members," the photographer recalled.

The photographer

The state leader of the state stated that the large-scale security action with approximately 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at stopping a criminal group referred to as the criminal faction from expanding its territory.

Originally, state authorities stated that sixty alleged criminals along with four officers" lost their lives in the operation.

Authorities later reported that initial estimates indicates that 117 alleged criminals were fatally injured.

The public legal service, that offers legal help to the poor, has calculated the overall count of fatalities to be 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization stands as the sole illegal faction that in the past few years has succeeded to increase its control in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is generally regarded one of the two largest gangs nationally, together with a rival criminal group, and has a history spanning over five decades.

According to Brazilian journalist an expert, who has been covering crime in Rio over many years, the gang "functions as a network" with neighborhood bosses joining the organization and serving as "business partners".

The gang focuses mainly on narcotics distribution, additionally trafficking firearms, precious metals, fuel, beverages and tobacco.

Based on official reports, organization members possess significant weaponry and officials reported that during the raid, they came under attack using drone-delivered explosives.

The state leader of the state, the government representative, described gang affiliates as "narcoterrorists" and described the security forces who died during the operation as "heroes".

But the number of people killed during the raid has faced scrutiny from international human rights authorities saying it was "horrified".

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

"It wasn't our intention to cause fatalities. We intended to arrest them all alive," he stated.

He continued that the circumstances intensified as the individuals fought back: "It resulted of the resistance they executed and the excessive violence by the illegal group."

The official also said that the casualties displayed by locals in the area had been "tampered with".

In a post on social media, he said that certain victims had been taken of military-style attire he said they had been wearing "to redirect responsibility toward law enforcement".

A law enforcement representative representing security forces also said that military attire, body armor, and weapons" were taken away from the casualties and showed footage appearing to show an individual cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse