The bodies just kept coming - photographer recounts lethal Rio law enforcement operation

The photographer

A photographer who documented the results of a large-scale law enforcement action in the metropolitan area has reported how residents returned with disfigured remains of the deceased individuals.

The casualties "kept piling up: the numbers kept rising", the photographer reported. They included security forces.

One of the bodies had been decapitated - additional victims were "completely mutilated", he reported. Numerous victims displayed what appeared to be knife injuries.

More than 120 people lost their lives during Tuesday's raid targeting an illegal organization - the bloodiest action in the city.

The photographer reported that he was first alerted to the raid early on Tuesday by community members living in Alemão, who contacted him telling him gunfire had erupted.

The reporter made his way to a local medical facility, where the victims were coming in.

The photographer stated that security forces blocked media personnel from going into the affected area, where the security measures was under way.

"Law enforcement personnel formed a line and declared: 'The press cannot proceed beyond this point'."

But Itan, who was raised in the community, reported he succeeded to gain access past the security perimeter, where he stayed until dawn.

He explained during the night, local residents began to search the mountainous area that borders Penha from the adjacent Alemão area for relatives who had been missing following the security action.

Local people living in Penha arranged the recovered bodies in an open area - the documented evidence display the reaction of the people there.

"The violence of it all affected me profoundly: the grief of relatives, parents losing consciousness, expectant spouses, crying, furious relatives," the eyewitness remembered.

The eyewitness

The state leader of the region stated that the large-scale security action with approximately 2,500 security personnel was aimed at preventing an illegal organization known as Comando Vermelho from growing their influence.

Originally, the Rio state government claimed that sixty individuals plus four law enforcement personnel" were fatally injured in the operation.

They have since said that early calculations shows that 117 alleged criminals have been killed.

The legal assistance organization, that offers legal help to disadvantaged individuals, has estimated the final tally of people killed as 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization represents the unique criminal entity which in recent years has been able to make territorial gains across the region.

Experts commonly view among the biggest criminal organizations in Brazil, in company with a rival criminal group, with a background spanning over five decades.

Per correspondent an expert, who has been covering criminal activity in the city for years, Red Command "works as a system" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and becoming "business partners".

The gang concentrates largely on illegal drug trade, while also dealing in weapons, valuable minerals, petroleum products, alcohol and tobacco.

Per law enforcement statements, organization members have substantial firearms and authorities stated that throughout the operation, they came under attack using drone-delivered explosives.

The governor of Rio state, Cláudio Castro, described Red Command members as criminal extremists and described the law enforcement personnel who died during the operation as "heroes".

Nevertheless, the total of casualties in the operation has faced scrutiny from international human rights authorities saying it was "appalled".

During a press briefing on Wednesday, the official defended the police force.

"We did not plan to cause fatalities. We wanted to detain everyone safely," he said.

He further explained that the events had escalated because the suspects resisted aggressively: "It occurred of the resistance they carried out and the disproportionate use of force from the gang members."

The official further reported that the victims shown by residents in the neighborhood were "altered".

In a post on social media, he claimed that particular individuals had been taken of the camouflage clothing that he stated they possessed "to redirect responsibility onto the police".

A law enforcement representative representing security forces also said that military attire, body armor, and weapons" were stripped from the bodies and presented video appearing to show a man removing tactical gear {off a corpse