RIO DE JANEIRO, 30 October (H.S.): A massive police raid targeting a powerful drug gang in Rio de Janeiro this week has resulted in Brazil’s deadliest police operation, with the death toll climbing to at least 119 by Wednesday, sparking horror and accusations of a massacre from residents and human rights groups.The operation, which began on Tuesday, saw some 2,500 heavily armed police and soldiers storm the Complexo da Penha and other favelas in a bid to dismantle the powerful Comando Vermelho (Red Command) gang.

The city was plunged into war-like scenes as police, using armored vehicles and helicopters, clashed with gang members who retaliated with heavy gunfire and by dropping explosives from drones.On Wednesday, horrified residents lined up dozens of bodies in the street, some reportedly showing signs of execution-style killings and mutilation.

While state authorities, including Governor Claudio Castro, hailed the raid as a success against narcoterrorism, activists and residents decried the police action as a brutal massacre of civilians. The Public Defender’s Office reported an even higher death toll of 132, a figure that includes 115 suspected criminals and four police officers.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed that he was horrified by the number of fatalities and was not informed of the operation beforehand. The United Nations has also voiced alarm, with the High Commissioner for Human Rights stating it was horrified and calling for swift investigations into the killings.

The operation occurred just days before Brazil is set to host the COP30 global climate talks, adding an international spotlight to the city’s violent and controversial war on drug gangs.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar