🔗 Share this article

Bruno Itan

An eyewitness who witnessed the aftermath of an extensive security raid in the metropolitan area has reported how local people brought back badly injured victims of the deceased individuals.

The victims "kept piling up: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the photographer reported. The total contained law enforcement personnel.

A particular victim was discovered headless - others were "completely mutilated", he reported. Many also had what he described as stab wounds.

Over 120 individuals were killed during Tuesday's raid against a criminal group - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen.

The photographer reported that he was first alerted to the raid in the early hours by residents living in Alemão, who sent him messages alerting him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The photographer went to the healthcare center, where the victims were coming in.

The eyewitness reported that law enforcement stopped members of the press from entering the operation zone, where the security measures were taking place.

"Police officers established a perimeter and announced: 'The press doesn't get past here'."

However, the photographer, who grew up in the area, reported he was able to enter into the restricted zone, where he stayed until dawn.

He explained during the night, community members started looking the hillside that separates the community of Penha and the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for family members who were unaccounted for since the police raid.

Community members living in Penha arranged the discovered victims in a public space - the photographer's images show the reaction of those present.

"The violence of it all affected me deeply: the pain of loved ones, mothers fainting, women carrying children, crying, outraged parents," the photographer recalled.

Bruno Itan

The state leader of the state stated that the massive police operation involving around 2,500 security personnel was aimed at halting an illegal organization referred to as Red Command from increasing their control.

Originally, the Rio state government claimed that sixty individuals along with four officers" lost their lives in the raid.

Officials subsequently stated that initial estimates suggests that 117 individuals were fatally injured.

The public legal service, that offers legal help to low-income residents, has calculated the total number of people killed at 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization represents the unique criminal entity that in the past few years has managed to expand its territory in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is widely considered as a major illegal faction in Brazil, alongside a rival criminal group, featuring a timeline dating back more than 50 years.

Based on Brazilian journalist a specialist, who has long reported on crime in Rio over many years, the gang "works as a system" with local criminal leaders affiliating with the group and acting as "operational allies".

The organization engages primarily in narcotics distribution, but also smuggles guns, valuable minerals, energy resources, alcohol and tobacco.

According to the authorities, gang members have substantial firearms and authorities stated that during the raid, they encountered resistance from explosive-laden drones.

The governor of the region, Cláudio Castro, labeled Red Command members as drug terrorists and described the security forces killed in the raid as "heroes".

Nevertheless, the total of fatalities in the security action has come in for criticism with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressing they felt "horrified".

In a media appearance on Wednesday, the official supported law enforcement.

"It wasn't our intention to cause fatalities. We wanted to take suspects into custody without harm," he said.

He continued that the events had escalated due to the alleged criminals resisted aggressively: "It was a consequence of the resistance they carried out and the excessive violence by those criminals."

The state leader also said that the victims presented by community members in the neighborhood had been "tampered with".

Through a message through digital channels, he claimed that certain victims had been removed of the camouflage clothing that he stated they possessed "to transfer accusation to security forces".

A law enforcement representative of Rio's civil police force also said that military attire, protective equipment, and weapons" had been removed from the victims and presented video apparently demonstrating an individual stripping military attire {off a corpse