At least 132 people have been reported killed in a police raid in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday, authorities say, more than double earlier figures.
The operation targeted the favelas of Alemão and Penha, strongholds of the Red Command gang.
The public defender’s office, which provides legal aid to the poor, disclosed the updated death toll after residents laid dozens of bodies in a square on Wednesday morning.
Police confirmed that among those arrested were key members of the gang.
Rio state Governor Cláudio Castro said forensic work was ongoing and the official figure could change.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed shock at the high number of fatalities, noting that the federal government had not been informed beforehand.
The United Nations Human Rights office described the operation as “horrifying.” Residents recounted “war-like” scenes with shoot-outs, barricades set on fire, and drones allegedly used by gang members to drop explosives on officers.
Governor Castro said the raid, which took two months to plan, was part of a broader strategy to confront organized crime, and praised four officers who were killed during the operation.
Journalist Rafael Soares noted that the Red Command has been reclaiming territory in Rio from rival gangs in recent years, and that the raid was part of efforts to deliver a decisive blow ahead of next year’s elections.
The areas affected are home to approximately 280,000 people. Police footage showed heavily-armed officers patrolling the narrow, densely populated hillside favelas, highlighting the scale of violence in the operation.