🔗 Share this article

The photographer

A reporter who documented the consequences of a large-scale Brazilian police operation in the metropolitan area has reported how local people returned with disfigured remains of people who lost their lives.

The casualties "kept piling up: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the photographer reported. They included security forces.

A particular victim was found without a head - additional victims were "totally disfigured", he said. Numerous victims displayed evidence of knife injuries.

More than 120 people were killed in the Tuesday operation on a criminal gang - the deadliest such raid Rio has experienced.

The photographer explained that he was first alerted to the raid early on Tuesday by local people from the Alemão area, who sent him messages informing him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The eyewitness made his way to the healthcare center, where the casualties were arriving.

Itan explained that law enforcement prevented journalists from entering the Penha neighborhood, where the operation were taking place.

"Security forces created a barrier and declared: 'The press cannot proceed beyond this point'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who was raised in that neighborhood, explained he succeeded to make his way into the cordoned-off area, where he remained until the next morning.

He described during the night, community members began to search the elevated terrain which divides the community of Penha and the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for family members who had been missing since the police raid.

Local people living in Penha organized the discovered victims in a square - and Itan's photos reveal the emotions of the people there.

"The harsh reality of what occurred impacted me profoundly: the pain of loved ones, parents losing consciousness, expectant spouses, sobbing, angry family members," the reporter recounted.

The photographer

The governor of the region stated that the large-scale security action with approximately 2,500 security personnel was aimed at stopping an illegal organization referred to as Comando Vermelho from growing their influence.

Originally, the Rio state government maintained that sixty alleged criminals along with four officers" lost their lives in the operation.

They have since said that their "preliminary" count shows that 117 alleged criminals lost their lives.

The public legal service, that offers legal help to low-income residents, has put the final tally of casualties at 132.

According to researchers, Red Command is the only criminal group which in recent years has managed to expand its territory in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is generally regarded one of the two largest gangs nationally, in company with a rival criminal group, and has a history spanning over five decades.

Based on Brazilian journalist an expert, with extensive experience documenting illegal operations in Rio over many years, Red Command "operates like a franchise" with area gang leaders forming part of the gang and acting as "commercial associates".

The gang focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, but also smuggles guns, valuable minerals, petroleum products, liquor cigarettes.

Based on official reports, criminal affiliates possess significant weaponry and authorities stated that while the action was underway, they came under attack using drone-delivered explosives.

The official of the region, the political leader, labeled gang affiliates as "narcoterrorists" and referred to the security forces killed in the raid as "heroes".

But the number of fatalities during the raid has received condemnation from international human rights authorities expressing they felt "appalled".

In a media appearance the next day, Governor Castro justified security actions.

"We did not plan to cause fatalities. We aimed to take suspects into custody without harm," he declared.

He further explained that the events had escalated due to the alleged criminals fought back: "It occurred of the resistance they carried out and the excessive violence by the illegal group."

The official also said that the bodies shown by residents in Penha had been "manipulated".

In a post through digital channels, he asserted that certain victims had been stripped of the camouflage clothing he said they had been wearing "to redirect responsibility onto the police".

Felipe Curi representing security forces additionally stated that military attire, body armor, and weapons" were taken away from the victims and displayed evidence appearing to show an individual cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse