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

The eyewitness

An eyewitness who observed the aftermath of a massive security raid in the Brazilian city has reported how community members came back with disfigured remains of people who lost their lives.

The bodies "continued arriving: the count kept increasing", the photographer described. Among them were those of police officers.

One individual was found without a head - additional victims were "completely mutilated", he said. Several bodies showed evidence of blade trauma.

Over 120 individuals were killed during Tuesday's raid against a criminal group - the bloodiest action in the city.

Bruno Itan explained that he was first alerted concerning the action Tuesday morning by local people living in Alemão, who contacted him telling him there was a shoot-out.

The photographer made his way to the healthcare center, where the victims were being brought.

The photographer stated that the police prevented journalists from going into the operation zone, where the security measures were taking place.

"Police officers established a perimeter and announced: 'Media representatives are not allowed to pass'."

However, the photographer, who spent his childhood in the community, explained he succeeded to enter into the cordoned-off area, where he continued until the next morning.

He described during the night, community members started looking the hillside that separates Penha from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for relatives who had been missing since the police raid.

Residents from the Penha area proceeded to place the located casualties in a square - the documented evidence display the emotions of the people there.

"The violence of what occurred affected me deeply: the sorrow of the families, women collapsing, expectant spouses, sobbing, furious relatives," the eyewitness remembered.

Bruno Itan

The governor of the region declared that the extensive law enforcement effort involving around 2,500 security personnel was intended to preventing a criminal group known as the criminal faction from expanding its territory.

Initially, the Rio state government stated that sixty individuals plus four law enforcement personnel" were fatally injured in the raid.

Authorities later reported that their "preliminary" count suggests that 117 individuals have been killed.

The legal assistance organization, that gives legal support to the poor, has put the overall count of casualties at 132.

Based on expert analysis, the gang represents the unique criminal entity which in recent years has been able to increase its control across the region.

It is widely considered as a major illegal faction in Brazil, alongside First Capital Command, with a background dating back more than 50 years.

Based on reporter a specialist, with extensive experience documenting illegal operations in Rio for years, the criminal organization "functions as a network" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and becoming "business partners".

The criminal group engages primarily in illegal drug trade, additionally trafficking weapons, valuable minerals, fuel, alcohol smoking products.

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

The state leader of Rio state, Cláudio Castro, described gang affiliates as drug terrorists and called the security forces fatally injured in the action as "heroes".

However, the count of fatalities during the raid has faced scrutiny from UN human rights officials expressing they felt "horrified".

During a press briefing the following day, the official supported law enforcement.

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

He further explained that the circumstances intensified because the suspects resisted aggressively: "It resulted of the retaliation they carried out and the disproportionate use of force from the gang members."

The governor additionally stated that the casualties displayed by locals in Penha were "altered".

In a post on social media, he said that some of them had been stripped of military-style attire he said they had been wearing "to redirect responsibility toward law enforcement".

A police official of Rio's civil police force further reported that military attire, body armor, and weapons" had been removed from the bodies and displayed evidence appearing to show a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse