The casualties continued piling up - eyewitness describes lethal Rio security action

The eyewitness

A reporter who observed the aftermath of a massive law enforcement action in the metropolitan area has recounted how local people came back with disfigured remains of the deceased individuals.

The bodies "kept coming: the count kept increasing", Bruno Itan reported. They included those of police officers.

One of the bodies had been decapitated - additional victims were "completely mutilated", he said. Numerous victims displayed what he described as stab wounds.

In excess of 120 victims were killed during the security action targeting an illegal organization - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen.

Bruno Itan stated that he initially learned concerning the action Tuesday morning by community members from the Alemão area, who reached out telling him there was a shoot-out.

The reporter went to the healthcare center, where the bodies were coming in.

The eyewitness reported that the police blocked media personnel from going into the affected area, where the police action were occurring.

"Security forces established a perimeter and announced: 'Media representatives cannot proceed beyond this point'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who grew up in the area, reported he was able to make his way into the cordoned-off area, where he stayed through the night.

He described that Tuesday night, area inhabitants started looking the hillside which divides the Penha neighborhood from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for relatives who were unaccounted for since the police raid.

Community members of the Penha neighbourhood organized the located casualties in an open area - the documented evidence display the emotions of the people there.

"The violence of it all impacted me deeply: the grief of relatives, women collapsing, pregnant wives, weeping, angry family members," the eyewitness remembered.

Bruno Itan

The state leader of the state stated that the large-scale security action involving around 2,500 security personnel was aimed at stopping a criminal group known as Comando Vermelho from growing their influence.

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

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

The public legal service, which provides legal assistance to disadvantaged individuals, has estimated the total number of casualties to be 132.

Per investigative findings, Red Command is the only criminal group that recently has succeeded to make territorial gains in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is generally regarded among the biggest criminal organizations in Brazil, alongside First Capital Command, and has a history dating back more than 50 years.

Based on correspondent an expert, with extensive experience documenting crime in Rio extensively, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with neighborhood bosses affiliating with the group and serving as "business partners".

The gang concentrates largely on drug trafficking, additionally trafficking weapons, precious metals, petroleum products, liquor smoking products.

Based on official reports, organization members have substantial firearms and authorities stated that while the action was underway, they encountered resistance using drone-delivered explosives.

The governor of the region, the government representative, characterized Red Command members as drug terrorists and referred to the four police officers fatally injured in the action as "heroes".

Nevertheless, the total of fatalities during the raid has come in for criticism with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressing they felt "horrified".

At a news conference on Wednesday, the state leader defended the police force.

"There was no objective to result in deaths. We aimed to arrest them all alive," he stated.

He continued that the events intensified due to the alleged criminals resisted aggressively: "It resulted of the retaliation they implemented and the disproportionate use of force by the illegal group."

The official additionally stated that the casualties displayed by locals in the neighborhood had been "tampered with".

Through a message through digital channels, he said that some of them had been stripped of tactical gear that he stated they possessed "to redirect responsibility to security forces".

A law enforcement representative of Rio's civil police force also said that military attire, protective equipment, and arms" were stripped from the casualties and showed footage seemingly depicting a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse