🔗 Share this article

The photographer

A reporter who witnessed the results of a massive Brazilian police operation in the Brazilian city has reported how community members returned with mutilated bodies of those who had died.

The casualties "continued arriving: the count kept increasing", the photographer reported. They included law enforcement personnel.

One of the bodies was discovered headless - others were "completely mutilated", he reported. Numerous victims displayed evidence of knife injuries.

Over 120 individuals were fatally injured in the Tuesday operation against a criminal group - the deadliest such raid in the city.

Bruno Itan reported that he was first alerted concerning the action Tuesday morning by local people of the Alemão neighbourhood, who reached out informing him an armed confrontation was occurring.

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

The eyewitness reported that the police stopped members of the press from accessing the affected area, where the operation were occurring.

"Law enforcement personnel established a perimeter and said: 'The press doesn't get past here'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who was raised in the area, explained he was able to enter into the cordoned-off area, where he continued until the next morning.

He explained that Tuesday night, local residents began to search the elevated terrain that borders Penha from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for family members who had been missing since the police raid.

Community members living in Penha proceeded to place the discovered victims in a public space - and Itan's photos show the emotions of the gathered crowd.

"The harsh reality of what occurred impacted me profoundly: the grief of relatives, mothers fainting, expectant spouses, weeping, furious relatives," the photographer recalled.

Bruno Itan

The governor of the region declared that the extensive law enforcement effort involving around 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at stopping a criminal group known as the criminal faction from growing their influence.

Initially, state authorities claimed that "60 suspects and four police officers" had been killed in the operation.

Officials subsequently stated that their "preliminary" count shows that 117 alleged criminals were fatally injured.

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to the poor, has estimated the overall count of fatalities at 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization is the only criminal group which in recent years has succeeded to increase its control in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is generally regarded one of the two largest gangs in Brazil, together with First Capital Command, with a background dating back more than 50 years.

Per Brazilian journalist an expert, who has long reported on criminal activity in the city for years, the gang "works as a system" with neighborhood bosses forming part of the gang and acting as "commercial associates".

The criminal group concentrates largely on narcotics distribution, but also smuggles guns, gold, fuel, alcohol and tobacco.

Based on official reports, gang members are well armed and officials reported that while the action was underway, they came under attack using drone-delivered explosives.

The governor of Rio state, the political leader, labeled Red Command members as "narcoterrorists" and described the four police officers killed in the raid as brave public servants.

However, the count of people killed during the raid has come in for criticism with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights saying it was "shocked".

During a press briefing on Wednesday, Governor Castro defended the police force.

"It wasn't our intention to result in deaths. We aimed to arrest them all alive," he said.

He added that the circumstances worsened because the suspects had retaliated: "It occurred of the counterattack they implemented and the disproportionate use of force from the gang members."

The official further reported that the casualties shown by residents in Penha had been "manipulated".

Through a message through digital channels, he claimed that some of them had been taken of the camouflage clothing which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation toward law enforcement".

A law enforcement representative of Rio's civil police force additionally stated that tactical gear, protective equipment, and firearms" had been removed from the casualties and displayed evidence appearing to show a man removing tactical gear {off a corpse