🔗 Share this article The victims kept arriving - reporter shares lethal Rio police raid The photographer Multiple casualties were displayed in an open area in Penha after the deadliest police raid the municipality has experienced An eyewitness who observed the aftermath of a massive Brazilian police operation in the Brazilian city has described how residents came back with disfigured remains of the deceased individuals. The bodies "kept coming: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", Bruno Itan stated. They included security forces. A particular victim had been decapitated - additional victims were "severely damaged", he said. Many also had what appeared to be stab wounds. More than 120 people were fatally injured in the Tuesday operation against a criminal group - the bloodiest action Rio has experienced. More than 100 people were taken into custody in connection with the security raid Bruno Itan explained that he was first alerted about the operation in the early hours by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who contacted him alerting him gunfire had erupted. The photographer made his way to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the casualties were coming in. The eyewitness reported that the police stopped members of the press from accessing the affected area, where the police action were taking place. "Law enforcement personnel formed a line and announced: 'The press doesn't get past here'." However, the photographer, who grew up in the community, stated he managed to make his way into the restricted zone, where he continued until the next morning. He explained that evening, community members started looking the mountainous area which divides Penha from the adjacent Alemão area for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown since the police raid. Local people living in Penha arranged the located casualties in a square - the documented evidence show the reaction of the gathered crowd. "The harsh reality of it all impacted me a lot: the grief of loved ones, parents losing consciousness, pregnant wives, weeping, outraged parents," the eyewitness remembered. The eyewitness There was disbelief in the neighborhood as community members retrieved more and more bodies from the nearby hillside The official of the region announced that the large-scale security action with approximately 2,500 law enforcement members was designed to stopping an illegal organization called the criminal faction from increasing their control. Initially, state authorities claimed that "60 suspects and four police officers" were fatally injured in the raid. They have since said that their "preliminary" count shows that 117 individuals lost their lives. The public legal service, that offers legal help to disadvantaged individuals, has put the total number of people killed to be 132. Based on expert analysis, the criminal organization stands as the sole illegal faction that recently has been able to expand its territory throughout Rio state. Experts commonly view among the biggest criminal organizations in Brazil, in company with First Capital Command, with a background dating back more than 50 years. Based on reporter a specialist, who has been covering crime in Rio extensively, Red Command "works as a system" with area gang leaders joining the organization and becoming "operational allies". The organization focuses mainly on drug trafficking, additionally trafficking firearms, precious metals, fuel, alcohol cigarettes. Per law enforcement statements, criminal affiliates are well armed and authorities stated that while the action was underway, they encountered resistance using drone-delivered explosives. The official of the state, Cláudio Castro, labeled gang affiliates as drug terrorists and referred to the law enforcement personnel fatally injured in the action as brave public servants. But the number of people killed in the operation has faced scrutiny from international human rights authorities stating they were "horrified". At a news conference on Wednesday, the official supported law enforcement. "We did not plan to cause fatalities. We wanted to detain everyone safely," he said. He added that the situation intensified due to the alleged criminals fought back: "It was a consequence of the retaliation they executed and the overwhelming response from the gang members." The state leader also said that the casualties displayed by locals in Penha had been "manipulated". Through a message through digital channels, he asserted that some of them had been taken of the camouflage clothing which he claimed they wore "to redirect responsibility onto the police". A law enforcement representative from the police department further reported that "camouflage clothing, body armor, and weapons" were taken away from the casualties and showed footage apparently demonstrating a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse