Residents in Rio’s Penha Complex lined up 40 bodies after a massive anti-drug operation left 60 suspected gang members and four officers dead.

RIO DE JANEIRO: Residents of a Rio de Janeiro favela lined up more than 40 bodies at a plaza in their low-income neighbourhood on Wednesday.

This discovery came one day after the bloodiest police operation in the city’s history.

The corpses were placed near a main road in the Penha Complex, though officials have not confirmed if they were among the 60 suspected gang members killed.

Tuesday’s massive counter-narcotics operation targeted two northern Rio favelas and involved 2,500 officers.

Four police officers were also slain during the raids targeting the Comando Vermelho, Rio’s main criminal organisation.

Authorities said “60 criminals” had been killed during fighting in the Penha Complex and Alemao Complex near Rio’s international airport.

The massive police deployment was backed by armoured vehicles, helicopters and drones, creating war-like scenes in the favela streets.

Rio state Governor Claudio Castro accused the criminal gang of using drones to attack police officers during the operation.

“This is how the Rio police are treated by criminals: with bombs dropped by drones,” he said in a post on X.

He described the challenge as “narcoterrorism” and shared a video from the fighting.

Although police raids in Rio’s favelas are frequent, the scale and death toll from Tuesday’s operation left local residents shocked.

“This is the first time we’ve seen drones from criminals dropping bombs in the community,” a Penha resident told AFP anonymously.

“Everyone is terrified because there’s so much gunfire,” she added.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said it was “horrified” and called for “swift investigations.”

Approximately 700 people died during police operations in Rio last year, averaging nearly two deaths daily.

The Human Rights Commission of the Rio State Legislative Assembly would demand explanations about the circumstances of the action.

Congresswoman Dani Monteiro, who heads the commission, said the operation “has once again transformed Rio’s favelas into a theater of war and barbarism.” – AFP

 The Sun Malaysia