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Bruno Itan

A photographer who observed the results of a massive law enforcement action in Rio de Janeiro has recounted how local people returned with badly injured victims of the deceased individuals.

The casualties "continued arriving: the count kept increasing", the photographer stated. The total contained law enforcement personnel.

A particular victim was discovered headless - while others appeared "totally disfigured", he reported. Several bodies showed evidence of stab wounds.

Over 120 individuals were killed in the Tuesday operation on a criminal gang - the deadliest such raid Rio has experienced.

Bruno Itan reported that he initially learned about the operation early on Tuesday by residents of the Alemão neighbourhood, who contacted him informing him there was a shoot-out.

The reporter went to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the bodies were being brought.

Itan explained that security forces stopped members of the press from accessing the operation zone, where the security measures were occurring.

"Law enforcement personnel established a perimeter and said: 'Media representatives are not allowed to pass'."

But Itan, who was raised in the area, stated he managed to gain access past the security perimeter, where he stayed until the next morning.

He explained that Tuesday night, local residents began to search the hillside that borders the community of Penha and the adjacent Alemão area for family members who had been missing after the operation.

Local people of the Penha neighbourhood arranged the discovered victims in a public space - the photographer's images show the reaction of those present.

"The harsh reality of the situation shook me deeply: the grief of the families, women collapsing, women carrying children, crying, angry family members," the reporter recounted.

The photographer

The state leader of the region declared that the extensive law enforcement effort with approximately 2,500 security personnel was aimed at halting a gang known as the criminal faction from growing their influence.

At first, state authorities maintained that sixty alleged criminals and four police officers" were fatally injured in the raid.

Officials subsequently stated that early calculations indicates that 117 alleged criminals have been killed.

The public legal service, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has calculated the total number of casualties to be 132.

According to researchers, the criminal organization stands as the sole illegal faction which in recent years has succeeded to expand its territory in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Experts commonly view one of the two largest gangs nationally, together with a rival criminal group, with a background dating back more than 50 years.

According to Brazilian journalist an expert, who has long reported on illegal operations in Rio extensively, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with area gang leaders affiliating with the group and serving as "commercial associates".

The gang focuses mainly on drug trafficking, but also smuggles weapons, valuable minerals, petroleum products, beverages smoking products.

According to the authorities, criminal affiliates possess significant weaponry and officials reported that during the raid, they came under attack using drone-delivered explosives.

The official of Rio state, Cláudio Castro, described organization participants as criminal extremists and referred to the law enforcement personnel killed in the raid as brave public servants.

But the number of casualties in the security action has faced scrutiny with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressing they felt "shocked".

At a news conference the next day, the state leader supported law enforcement.

"We did not plan to result in deaths. We intended to take suspects into custody without harm," he declared.

He further explained that the situation had escalated because the suspects resisted aggressively: "It resulted of the resistance they implemented and the overwhelming response from the gang members."

The governor further reported that the victims shown by residents in Penha had been "tampered with".

In a post through digital channels, he claimed that certain victims had been stripped of tactical gear which he claimed they wore "to redirect responsibility toward law enforcement".

A law enforcement representative of Rio's civil police force further reported that tactical gear, body armor, and firearms" were taken away from the casualties and showed footage seemingly depicting a man stripping military attire {off a corpse