🔗 Share this article

The eyewitness

A photographer who observed the aftermath of a large-scale law enforcement action in the metropolitan area has described how community members returned with mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The casualties "kept coming: the count kept increasing", Bruno Itan described. Among them were security forces.

One individual was discovered headless - additional victims were "severely damaged", he said. Several bodies showed what appeared to be stab wounds.

In excess of 120 victims lost their lives in the Tuesday operation on a criminal gang - the most lethal operation Rio has experienced.

The eyewitness explained that he was first alerted about the operation Tuesday morning by residents from the Alemão area, who reached out telling him there was a shoot-out.

The photographer made his way to a local medical facility, where the casualties were arriving.

Itan explained that the police prevented journalists from going into the affected area, where the police action were occurring.

"Security forces formed a line and said: 'The press doesn't get past here'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who was raised in that neighborhood, explained he succeeded to gain access past the security perimeter, where he stayed until dawn.

He reported that evening, community members started looking the mountainous area that separates the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for loved ones who were unaccounted for following the security action.

Local people of the Penha neighbourhood proceeded to place the discovered victims in a square - the documented evidence display the emotions of the gathered crowd.

"The brutality of it all affected me profoundly: the pain of the families, women collapsing, expectant spouses, weeping, outraged parents," the eyewitness remembered.

Bruno Itan

The state leader of Rio state announced that the extensive law enforcement effort deploying about 2,500 officers was aimed at halting an illegal organization known as Red Command from expanding its territory.

At first, local officials maintained that sixty alleged criminals along with four officers" had been killed in the raid.

Officials subsequently stated that their "preliminary" count suggests that 117 "suspects" have been killed.

Rio's public defender's office, which provides legal assistance to the poor, has put the overall count of people killed to be 132.

Based on expert analysis, the gang stands as the sole illegal faction that recently has been able to increase its control throughout Rio state.

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

According to Brazilian journalist a specialist, who has long reported on crime in Rio over many years, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with local criminal leaders affiliating with the group and serving as "operational allies".

The organization focuses mainly on drug trafficking, while also dealing in weapons, valuable minerals, energy resources, liquor cigarettes.

Based on official reports, organization members are well armed and authorities stated that throughout the operation, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The state leader of the state, the political leader, labeled organization participants as criminal extremists and described the four police officers killed in the raid as brave public servants.

Nevertheless, the total of casualties in the security action has received condemnation from international human rights authorities stating they were "horrified".

In a media appearance the next day, the state leader justified security actions.

"There was no objective to kill anyone. We aimed to arrest them all alive," he said.

He further explained that the events worsened as the individuals fought back: "It resulted of the resistance they carried out and the overwhelming response from the gang members."

The state leader further reported that the bodies displayed by locals in Penha were "altered".

Through a message on online platforms, he asserted that certain victims had been stripped of tactical gear that he stated they possessed "to redirect responsibility to security forces".

A police official from the police department additionally stated that "camouflage clothing, vests, and arms" were taken away from the casualties and displayed evidence apparently demonstrating a person cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse