🔗 Share this article The casualties continued piling up - reporter shares deadly Rio police raid Bruno Itan Multiple casualties were laid out in an open area in Penha following the most lethal operation in the city's history A photographer who documented the aftermath of a large-scale law enforcement action in the metropolitan area has recounted how residents came back with disfigured remains of people who lost their lives. The casualties "kept piling up: the count kept increasing", the photographer stated. The total contained those of police officers. One individual was found without a head - while others appeared "severely damaged", he explained. Several bodies showed what appeared to be blade trauma. In excess of 120 victims were killed during Tuesday's raid on a criminal gang - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen. In excess of 100 suspects were detained during the operation The eyewitness stated that he was first alerted about the operation Tuesday morning by community members from the Alemão area, who reached out informing him gunfire had erupted. The eyewitness traveled to the healthcare center, where the bodies were arriving. The photographer stated that security forces stopped members of the press from entering the affected area, where the security measures were occurring. "Law enforcement personnel established a perimeter and said: 'Media representatives doesn't get past here'." Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who grew up in the area, explained he succeeded to enter into the restricted zone, where he continued until the next morning. He described during the night, local residents started looking the mountainous area that separates Penha from the adjacent Alemão area for loved ones who had been missing after the operation. Local people of the Penha neighbourhood proceeded to place the recovered bodies in an open area - the photographer's images display the reaction of the people there. "The violence of what occurred shook me a lot: the sorrow of the families, mothers fainting, expectant spouses, sobbing, outraged parents," the reporter recounted. The eyewitness There was disbelief in Penha as community members found increasing numbers of casualties from the nearby hillside The state leader of Rio state declared that the large-scale security action involving around 2,500 officers was intended to stopping a gang known as the criminal faction from increasing their control. Initially, state authorities stated that sixty individuals plus four law enforcement personnel" were fatally injured in the raid. Officials subsequently stated that their "preliminary" count suggests that 117 "suspects" were fatally injured. The legal assistance organization, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has put the overall count of casualties to be 132. Based on expert analysis, the gang stands as the sole illegal faction that in the past few years has been able to increase its control across the region. Experts commonly view one of the two largest gangs in the country, alongside First Capital Command, and has a history spanning over five decades. Per Brazilian journalist a specialist, who has been covering criminal activity in the city over many years, the gang "operates like a franchise" with neighborhood bosses affiliating with the group and serving as "operational allies". The organization engages primarily in narcotics distribution, but also smuggles guns, gold, fuel, alcohol cigarettes. Per law enforcement statements, criminal affiliates have substantial firearms and police said that throughout the operation, they faced assaults from explosive-laden drones. The governor of the state, the political leader, described gang affiliates as "narcoterrorists" and called the security forces fatally injured in the action as brave public servants. However, the count of people killed in the operation has faced scrutiny with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressing they felt "shocked". In a media appearance the following day, Governor Castro defended the police force. "It wasn't our intention to cause fatalities. We wanted to take suspects into custody without harm," he declared. He further explained that the events worsened as the individuals fought back: "It occurred of the retaliation they executed and the overwhelming response by the illegal group." The governor additionally stated that the bodies displayed by locals in Penha had been "tampered with". In a post on online platforms, he said that particular individuals had been taken of military-style attire that he stated they possessed "to redirect responsibility onto the police". Felipe Curi from the police department additionally stated that "camouflage clothing, protective equipment, and arms" had been removed from the bodies and displayed evidence apparently demonstrating a man stripping military attire {off a corpse