This is the largest attack in history by authorities against the "Red Team" gang.
As a result of the raids, at least 132 people have died, reports Reuters. This is the deadliest police operation in the country's history.
The state police stated that the raids against the gang "Red Team" were meticulously planned for more than two months. The goal was to drive the suspects to a wooded slope of a hill, where a special forces unit was waiting in ambush.
As Reuters reports, residents of the Penha area collected dozens of bodies overnight in a nearby forest and laid them out in a row in the middle of the main street.
Rio de Janeiro Governor Claudio Castro expressed confidence that those killed during the operation were criminals shooting from the forest. "The only real victims were police officers," he said.
The state government also stated that this is the largest operation in history against the "Red Team" gang, which controls drug trafficking in several favelas – poor and densely populated areas. It is claimed that 113 suspects were arrested and 118 firearms were seized.
This operation has faced criticism, including from the UN Human Rights Office, due to the numerous casualties.
The Minister of Justice of Brazil stated that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was surprised to learn that the Rio de Janeiro police had begun an "extremely bloody and brutal" operation without notifying and involving the federal government.
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