RIO DE JANEIRO, October 29. /TASS/. State authorities in Rio de Janeiro have confirmed the deaths of 132 people following a law enforcement operation against local drug gangs, the G1 news website reported.

Earlier, sources told TASS that the victims included not only members of criminal groups and police officers killed in the line of duty, but also more than 50 civilians. However, State Governor Claudio Castro denied that any innocent civilians were among the dead, despite TASS sources indicating that some peaceful citizens had been caught in the crossfire.

G1 reported that local residents discovered the bodies of 72 additional individuals, whose affiliations with criminal groups are currently being verified. The bodies were moved to a district square for identification by their families.

Meanwhile, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has convened an emergency government meeting to assess the situation, according to the O Globo newspaper. The president reportedly submitted a plan to introduce a "law and order regime" (A Garantia da Lei e da Ordem) in Rio de Janeiro — a special constitutional measure allowing the federal government to deploy the armed forces, including armored vehicles and aircraft, to restore security.

On October 28, Rio de Janeiro police launched a new phase of Operation Containment, targeting criminal gangs primarily in the city’s northern districts. The operation involved more than 2,500 officers, resulting in over 80 arrests and more than 50 deaths among members of the drug mafia.