🔗 Share this article

The eyewitness

A photographer who witnessed the results of an extensive law enforcement action in Rio de Janeiro has reported how community members returned with badly injured victims of people who lost their lives.

The victims "kept piling up: the count kept increasing", the eyewitness described. Among them were security forces.

One of the bodies was found without a head - while others appeared "completely mutilated", he explained. Numerous victims displayed what appeared to be stab wounds.

In excess of 120 victims lost their lives in the Tuesday operation against a criminal group - the deadliest such raid Rio has experienced.

The eyewitness explained that he initially learned about the operation in the early hours by residents living in Alemão, who sent him messages telling him gunfire had erupted.

The reporter made his way to the healthcare center, where the casualties were coming in.

Itan explained that the police blocked media personnel from accessing the Penha neighborhood, where the security measures were taking place.

"Law enforcement personnel established a perimeter and declared: 'Journalists are not allowed to pass'."

However, the photographer, who was raised in the community, stated he was able to make his way into the cordoned-off area, where he remained through the night.

He described that evening, community members commenced searching the mountainous area that borders the Penha neighborhood from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for relatives who were unaccounted for after the operation.

Residents living in Penha proceeded to place the located casualties in an open area - the photographer's images display the emotions of the gathered crowd.

"The harsh reality of what occurred impacted me deeply: the pain of relatives, mothers fainting, pregnant wives, sobbing, angry family members," the reporter recounted.

The photographer

The governor of the state announced that the large-scale security action deploying about 2,500 security personnel was intended to stopping a gang referred to as the criminal faction from increasing their control.

At first, local officials claimed that sixty individuals plus four law enforcement personnel" were fatally injured during the action.

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

The public legal service, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has put the total number of fatalities as 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization represents the unique criminal entity that recently has succeeded to increase its control throughout Rio state.

Experts commonly view one of the two largest gangs in Brazil, in company with another major gang, with a background extending half a century.

Per Brazilian journalist a specialist, who has been covering crime in Rio extensively, the gang "operates like a franchise" with area gang leaders affiliating with the group and becoming "commercial associates".

The criminal group engages primarily in drug trafficking, while also dealing in guns, precious metals, petroleum products, beverages cigarettes.

Based on official reports, organization members have substantial firearms and police said that while the action was underway, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The official of Rio state, the government representative, characterized Red Command members as criminal extremists and called the law enforcement personnel fatally injured in the action as brave public servants.

However, the count of casualties in the operation has come in for criticism with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights saying it was "horrified".

In a media appearance on Wednesday, the official justified security actions.

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

He further explained that the situation worsened due to the alleged criminals fought back: "It occurred of the resistance they implemented and the excessive violence by those criminals."

The governor also said that the casualties shown by residents in the area had been "tampered with".

Through a message on social media, he said that particular individuals had been taken of the camouflage clothing which he claimed they wore "to redirect responsibility toward law enforcement".

A police official from the police department also said that military attire, vests, and weapons" had been removed from the bodies and presented video apparently demonstrating a person stripping military attire {off a corpse