🔗 Share this article The casualties continued piling up - photographer recounts lethal Rio police raid Bruno Itan Dozens of bodies were arranged in a public space in northern Rio in the wake of the bloodiest security action in the city's history A photographer who documented the aftermath of a large-scale law enforcement action in the metropolitan area has reported how community members returned with badly injured victims of the deceased individuals. The victims "kept piling up: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", Bruno Itan described. The total contained law enforcement personnel. One individual had been decapitated - while others appeared "severely damaged", he reported. Numerous victims displayed what appeared to be blade trauma. More than 120 people were fatally injured during Tuesday's raid targeting an illegal organization - the most lethal operation Rio has experienced. More than 100 people were arrested in connection with the operation Bruno Itan reported that he was first alerted to the raid Tuesday morning by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who reached out informing him there was a shoot-out. The photographer made his way to a local medical facility, where the victims were being brought. The eyewitness reported that the police stopped members of the press from entering the affected area, where the police action were taking place. "Police officers created a barrier and announced: 'The press doesn't get past here'." However, the photographer, who spent his childhood in the community, reported he managed to gain access past the security perimeter, where he stayed until dawn. He explained that evening, local residents commenced searching the mountainous area that borders Penha from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for loved ones whose whereabouts were unknown following the security action. Community members of the Penha neighbourhood arranged the discovered victims in a public space - the documented evidence reveal the reaction of those present. "The brutality of what occurred impacted me deeply: the grief of the families, mothers fainting, pregnant wives, crying, furious relatives," the reporter recounted. The eyewitness There was disbelief in the neighborhood as locals recovered more and more bodies from the adjacent terrain The state leader of Rio state stated that the large-scale security action deploying about 2,500 officers was intended to halting a criminal group referred to as Comando Vermelho from increasing their control. Initially, state authorities stated that "60 suspects plus four law enforcement personnel" lost their lives during the action. Officials subsequently stated that initial estimates indicates that 117 individuals have been killed. The legal assistance organization, that offers legal help to low-income residents, has put the final tally of fatalities to be 132. According to researchers, Red Command is the only criminal group that recently has been able to expand its territory throughout Rio state. It is generally regarded as a major illegal faction in the country, in company with another major gang, featuring a timeline dating back more than 50 years. Per correspondent Rafael Soares, who has long reported on crime in Rio over many years, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with area gang leaders forming part of the gang and becoming "commercial associates". The criminal group focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, while also dealing in guns, precious metals, petroleum products, alcohol smoking products. Based on official reports, gang members possess significant weaponry and police said that throughout the operation, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones. The governor of the region, the political leader, characterized Red Command members as criminal extremists and referred to the law enforcement personnel who died during the operation as brave public servants. Nevertheless, the total of casualties in the security action has come in for criticism from international human rights authorities saying it was "shocked". At a news conference on Wednesday, Governor Castro supported law enforcement. "There was no objective to kill anyone. We wanted to take suspects into custody without harm," he declared. He further explained that the situation had escalated due to the alleged criminals fought back: "It resulted of the retaliation they implemented and the disproportionate use of force by those criminals." The governor additionally stated that the bodies shown by residents in the area had been "manipulated". Via a statement through digital channels, he claimed that particular individuals had been stripped of military-style attire that he stated they possessed "to redirect responsibility to security forces". Felipe Curi of Rio's civil police force additionally stated that military attire, body armor, and weapons" were stripped from the victims and presented video apparently demonstrating an individual removing tactical gear {off a corpse