The casualties continued piling up - photographer recounts lethal Rio law enforcement operation

The photographer

A reporter who witnessed the results of a large-scale Brazilian police operation in the metropolitan area has recounted how local people came back with disfigured remains of those who had died.

The casualties "kept piling up: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", Bruno Itan reported. Among them were those of police officers.

A particular victim had been decapitated - additional victims were "totally disfigured", he reported. Numerous victims displayed what he described as knife injuries.

Over 120 individuals were fatally injured during the security action against a criminal group - the deadliest such raid the municipality has seen.

The eyewitness reported that he initially learned about the operation early on Tuesday by community members living in Alemão, who reached out telling him there was a shoot-out.

The eyewitness made his way to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the bodies were being brought.

The photographer stated that law enforcement prevented journalists from entering the affected area, where the police action was under way.

"Security forces formed a line and said: 'The press are not allowed to pass'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who grew up in the area, reported he managed to enter into the restricted zone, where he stayed until dawn.

He reported during the night, area inhabitants started looking the elevated terrain that separates the community of Penha and the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for family members whose whereabouts were unknown since the police raid.

Community members of the Penha neighbourhood proceeded to place the discovered victims in a square - and Itan's photos show the emotions of the gathered crowd.

"The harsh reality of what occurred affected me deeply: the sorrow of loved ones, women collapsing, pregnant wives, weeping, angry family members," the eyewitness remembered.

The photographer

The governor of Rio state declared that the large-scale security action deploying about 2,500 security personnel was aimed at stopping a gang known as Red Command from increasing their control.

At first, the Rio state government stated that sixty alleged criminals along with four officers" were fatally injured during the action.

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

The legal assistance organization, that offers legal help to disadvantaged individuals, has estimated the total number of casualties at 132.

Per investigative findings, Red Command stands as the sole illegal faction that recently has managed to increase its control across the region.

It is widely considered as a major illegal faction nationally, in company with First Capital Command, and has a history extending half a century.

According to Brazilian journalist a specialist, who has long reported on crime in Rio extensively, the criminal organization "functions as a network" with area gang leaders joining the organization and acting as "operational allies".

The criminal group focuses mainly on drug trafficking, additionally trafficking guns, gold, energy resources, alcohol cigarettes.

Based on official reports, organization members possess significant weaponry and officials reported that while the action was underway, they faced assaults from explosive-laden drones.

The governor of Rio state, the political leader, labeled organization participants as drug terrorists and described the law enforcement personnel who died during the operation as "heroes".

But the number of fatalities during the raid has received condemnation from UN human rights officials expressing they felt "horrified".

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

"It wasn't our intention to cause fatalities. We wanted to detain everyone safely," he said.

He added that the events intensified due to the alleged criminals had retaliated: "It resulted of the resistance they implemented and the overwhelming response by those criminals."

The official further reported that the casualties displayed by locals in the neighborhood were "altered".

Through a message on online platforms, he said that some of them had been taken of tactical gear that he stated they possessed "to redirect responsibility toward law enforcement".

A police official of Rio's civil police force additionally stated that "camouflage clothing, body armor, and arms" were taken away from the victims and displayed evidence appearing to show a man removing tactical gear {off a corpse