🔗 Share this article

The photographer

An eyewitness who documented the consequences of an extensive law enforcement action in Rio de Janeiro has recounted how residents returned with badly injured victims of those who had died.

The casualties "kept piling up: the count kept increasing", the photographer reported. Among them were those of police officers.

A particular victim was discovered headless - additional victims were "totally disfigured", he reported. Numerous victims displayed evidence of knife injuries.

In excess of 120 victims were fatally injured during the security action on a criminal gang - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen.

Bruno Itan reported that residents first notified him to the raid Tuesday morning by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who reached out telling him there was a shoot-out.

The reporter went to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the victims were coming in.

The photographer stated that law enforcement stopped members of the press from entering the Penha neighborhood, where the police action were taking place.

"Security forces formed a line and declared: 'Journalists are not allowed to pass'."

However, the photographer, who was raised in the area, reported he succeeded to make his way into the restricted zone, where he remained until dawn.

He explained that evening, local residents began to search the mountainous area that separates the Penha neighborhood from the neighboring Alemão community for family members who had been missing following the security action.

Residents living in Penha organized the recovered bodies in a square - the photographer's images display the response of the gathered crowd.

"The brutality of it all affected me deeply: the sorrow of relatives, parents losing consciousness, pregnant wives, sobbing, furious relatives," the photographer recalled.

The photographer

The official of the region stated that the large-scale security action with approximately 2,500 security personnel was intended to preventing a gang known as Red Command from increasing their control.

Initially, local officials claimed that "60 suspects and four police officers" had been killed in the raid.

They have since said that initial estimates indicates that 117 alleged criminals have been killed.

The public legal service, that offers legal help to low-income residents, has estimated the overall count of people killed at 132.

Based on expert analysis, the criminal organization stands as the sole illegal faction which in recent years has managed to make territorial gains throughout Rio state.

It is widely considered among the biggest criminal organizations nationally, alongside a rival criminal group, with a background dating back more than 50 years.

According to correspondent Rafael Soares, who has been covering criminal activity in the city over many years, the gang "functions as a network" with area gang leaders joining the organization and acting as "commercial associates".

The organization focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, additionally trafficking guns, valuable minerals, petroleum products, alcohol smoking products.

Per law enforcement statements, organization members possess significant weaponry and authorities stated that throughout the operation, they came under attack using drone-delivered explosives.

The governor of the region, the political leader, labeled Red Command members as "narcoterrorists" and referred to the law enforcement personnel who died during the operation as brave public servants.

Nevertheless, the total of people killed in the security action has received condemnation from UN human rights officials stating they were "shocked".

At a news conference on Wednesday, the official justified security actions.

"We did not plan to kill anyone. We wanted to arrest them all alive," he said.

He continued that the situation worsened due to the alleged criminals had retaliated: "It resulted of the retaliation they executed and the disproportionate use of force by those criminals."

The official additionally stated that the bodies displayed by locals in the area were "altered".

Via a statement on online platforms, he claimed that particular individuals had been stripped of the camouflage clothing that he stated they possessed "in order to shift blame to security forces".

Felipe Curi representing security forces further reported that tactical gear, vests, and firearms" were stripped from the victims and showed footage seemingly depicting an individual removing tactical gear {off a corpse