🔗 Share this article

Bruno Itan

An eyewitness who witnessed the aftermath of a large-scale Brazilian police operation in the Brazilian city has described how local people brought back disfigured remains of the deceased individuals.

The bodies "kept coming: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the photographer reported. They included those of police officers.

One individual was discovered headless - others were "severely damaged", he said. Several bodies showed what he described as stab wounds.

In excess of 120 victims were killed during Tuesday's raid on a criminal gang - the deadliest such raid the municipality has seen.

Bruno Itan reported that he was first alerted to the raid in the early hours by residents from the Alemão area, who reached out informing him there was a shoot-out.

The photographer went to the healthcare center, where the casualties were being brought.

The photographer stated that the police stopped members of the press from going into the operation zone, where the security measures were taking place.

"Police officers formed a line and said: 'The press doesn't get past here'."

However, the photographer, who spent his childhood in the area, reported he succeeded to enter into the restricted zone, where he stayed through the night.

He described that evening, local residents started looking the elevated terrain that separates the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for family members who were unaccounted for after the operation.

Community members of the Penha neighbourhood proceeded to place the recovered bodies in a public space - the photographer's images display the emotions of the people there.

"The harsh reality of it all shook me profoundly: the sorrow of the families, women collapsing, pregnant wives, crying, angry family members," the eyewitness remembered.

The eyewitness

The state leader of Rio state stated that the massive police operation involving around 2,500 law enforcement members was intended to stopping an illegal organization known as Comando Vermelho from expanding its territory.

At first, the Rio state government claimed that "60 suspects plus four law enforcement personnel" were fatally injured during the action.

Officials subsequently stated that initial estimates shows that 117 alleged criminals have been killed.

The legal assistance organization, that gives legal support to the poor, has put the final tally of fatalities to be 132.

Based on expert analysis, the criminal organization is the only criminal group that recently has succeeded to expand its territory throughout Rio state.

Experts commonly view among the biggest criminal organizations in the country, together with another major gang, with a background spanning over five decades.

Based on reporter Rafael Soares, who has been covering criminal activity in the city over many years, the criminal organization "works as a system" with area gang leaders affiliating with the group and becoming "commercial associates".

The gang concentrates largely on illegal drug trade, while also dealing in guns, precious metals, fuel, beverages and tobacco.

According to the authorities, organization members are well armed and authorities stated that throughout the operation, they encountered resistance from explosive-laden drones.

The official of the region, Cláudio Castro, labeled organization participants as criminal extremists and described the security forces killed in the raid as "heroes".

Nevertheless, the total of people killed in the operation has come in for criticism with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stating they were "horrified".

During a press briefing on Wednesday, the official supported law enforcement.

"We did not plan to result in deaths. We aimed to arrest them all alive," he declared.

He further explained that the circumstances worsened due to the alleged criminals fought back: "It resulted of the retaliation they carried out and the overwhelming response by the illegal group."

The state leader further reported that the victims shown by residents in the area had been "manipulated".

Through a message through digital channels, he claimed that some of them had been taken of military-style attire that he stated they possessed "to transfer accusation to security forces".

A police official representing security forces further reported that tactical gear, protective equipment, and arms" were stripped from the victims and presented video apparently demonstrating a person stripping military attire {off a corpse