The casualties continued piling up - photographer recounts fatal Rio security action

The photographer

A photographer who documented the aftermath of an extensive law enforcement action in Rio de Janeiro has recounted how local people came back with badly injured victims of the deceased individuals.

The bodies "kept piling up: the count kept increasing", Bruno Itan reported. They included law enforcement personnel.

One of the bodies had been decapitated - while others appeared "severely damaged", he said. Several bodies showed evidence of blade trauma.

Over 120 individuals were killed during Tuesday's raid on a criminal gang - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen.

The photographer explained that residents first notified him about the operation early on Tuesday by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who reached out telling him an armed confrontation was occurring.

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

Itan explained that security forces stopped members of the press from going into the affected area, where the police action was under way.

"Law enforcement personnel established a perimeter and announced: 'Journalists are not allowed to pass'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who spent his childhood in the area, explained he managed to gain access into the restricted zone, where he remained until dawn.

He described that Tuesday night, local residents commenced searching the mountainous area that borders Penha from the neighboring Alemão community for loved ones whose whereabouts were unknown after the operation.

Community members of the Penha neighbourhood organized the recovered bodies in an open area - the photographer's images show the response of the gathered crowd.

"The brutality of what occurred affected me deeply: the pain of loved ones, mothers fainting, women carrying children, weeping, outraged parents," the eyewitness remembered.

The eyewitness

The governor of Rio state stated that the massive police operation involving around 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at halting a criminal group known as Comando Vermelho from expanding its territory.

Originally, state authorities stated that sixty alleged criminals along with four officers" lost their lives in the operation.

Authorities later reported that initial estimates suggests that 117 individuals lost their lives.

The public legal service, which provides legal assistance to the poor, has estimated the overall count of casualties at 132.

According to researchers, the gang stands as the sole illegal faction that recently has been able to make territorial gains across the region.

It is widely considered one of the two largest gangs nationally, alongside a rival criminal group, with a background dating back more than 50 years.

According to reporter a specialist, with extensive experience documenting criminal activity in the city for years, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with area gang leaders forming part of the gang and acting as "commercial associates".

The organization engages primarily in illegal drug trade, while also dealing in firearms, gold, fuel, liquor cigarettes.

Based on official reports, gang members possess significant weaponry and police said that while the action was underway, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The official of the region, the government representative, described Red Command members as "narcoterrorists" and called the security forces who died during the operation as brave public servants.

However, the count of people killed in the operation has received condemnation from UN human rights officials stating they were "shocked".

At a news conference on Wednesday, the state leader supported law enforcement.

"We did not plan to cause fatalities. We intended to detain everyone safely," he declared.

He further explained that the situation intensified due to the alleged criminals had retaliated: "It was a consequence of the retaliation they implemented and the overwhelming response from the gang members."

The state leader also said that the victims displayed by locals in the neighborhood were "altered".

Through a message on social media, he asserted that some of them had been taken of military-style attire which he claimed they wore "in order to shift blame to security forces".

A police official from the police department further reported that tactical gear, vests, and weapons" were taken away from the casualties and displayed evidence appearing to show a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse