The eyewitness
A reporter who witnessed the results of a large-scale law enforcement action in the metropolitan area has reported how community members brought back mutilated bodies of those who had died.
The casualties "kept coming: the count kept increasing", the eyewitness described. Among them were those of police officers.
One of the bodies was found without a head - additional victims were "totally disfigured", he explained. Several bodies showed what he described as knife injuries.
In excess of 120 victims were fatally injured during the security action on a criminal gang - the bloodiest action Rio has experienced.
Bruno Itan explained that he was first alerted about the operation Tuesday morning by community members from the Alemão area, who contacted him alerting him gunfire had erupted.
The eyewitness traveled to a local medical facility, where the casualties were coming in.
Itan explained that law enforcement prevented journalists from going into the Penha neighborhood, where the operation was under way.
"Security forces formed a line and declared: 'Media representatives cannot proceed beyond this point'."
Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who grew up in the community, reported he managed to gain access past the security perimeter, where he remained until dawn.
He described during the night, local residents began to search the elevated terrain which divides the community of Penha and the adjacent Alemão area for loved ones who had been missing following the security action.
Community members living in Penha organized the recovered bodies in a square - the photographer's images display the emotions of those present.
"The harsh reality of the situation shook me profoundly: the pain of loved ones, women collapsing, women carrying children, weeping, angry family members," the reporter recounted.
The photographer
The governor of the state declared that the massive police operation deploying about 2,500 law enforcement members was designed to stopping a gang called Red Command from growing their influence.
Originally, state authorities maintained that sixty alleged criminals and four police officers" were fatally injured in the raid.
They have since said that their "preliminary" count suggests that 117 individuals were fatally injured.
The legal assistance organization, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has estimated the overall count of casualties as 132.
According to researchers, the gang stands as the sole illegal faction that in the past few years has been able to make territorial gains across the region.
It is generally regarded as a major illegal faction in the country, in company with First Capital Command, and has a history dating back more than 50 years.
Per Brazilian journalist an expert, who has long reported on crime in Rio extensively, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with local criminal leaders affiliating with the group and acting as "operational allies".
The criminal group focuses mainly on drug trafficking, additionally trafficking firearms, gold, fuel, alcohol and tobacco.
Per law enforcement statements, gang members possess significant weaponry and officials reported that while the action was underway, they encountered resistance via weaponized unmanned aircraft.
The governor of the region, Cláudio Castro, described organization participants as "narcoterrorists" and described the security forces fatally injured in the action as brave public servants.
Nevertheless, the total of casualties in the operation has come in for criticism with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stating they were "shocked".
In a media appearance the following day, the state leader defended the police force.
"There was no objective to cause fatalities. We intended to arrest them all alive," he stated.
He further explained that the events intensified due to the alleged criminals fought back: "It resulted of the counterattack they implemented and the overwhelming response by those criminals."
The official also said that the bodies presented by community members in the area had been "manipulated".
Via a statement on social media, he asserted that some of them had been removed of tactical gear he said they had been wearing "to redirect responsibility toward law enforcement".
Felipe Curi from the police department additionally stated that military attire, protective equipment, and weapons" were taken away from the casualties and presented video appearing to show a man stripping military attire {off a corpse
