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The eyewitness

A photographer who witnessed the consequences of a large-scale Brazilian police operation in the Brazilian city has described how local people came back with disfigured remains of people who lost their lives.

The bodies "kept piling up: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the eyewitness stated. Among them were those of police officers.

One individual was discovered headless - while others appeared "completely mutilated", he said. Numerous victims displayed what he described as knife injuries.

In excess of 120 victims were fatally injured in the Tuesday operation on a criminal gang - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen.

Bruno Itan stated that he initially learned concerning the action in the early hours by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who reached out telling him there was a shoot-out.

The photographer made his way to a local medical facility, where the bodies were coming in.

The eyewitness reported that law enforcement stopped members of the press from going into the operation zone, where the operation was under way.

"Law enforcement personnel created a barrier and declared: 'The press cannot proceed beyond this point'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who was raised in that neighborhood, explained he succeeded to enter into the restricted zone, where he continued until dawn.

He described that evening, community members started looking the mountainous area that borders the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for loved ones who had been missing after the operation.

Local people living in Penha organized the located casualties in a public space - and Itan's photos show the emotions of those present.

"The brutality of what occurred shook me a lot: the sorrow of loved ones, parents losing consciousness, expectant spouses, sobbing, outraged parents," the photographer recalled.

Bruno Itan

The governor of the region stated that the extensive law enforcement effort involving around 2,500 officers was designed to halting a criminal group known as Red Command from growing their influence.

At first, local officials stated that "60 suspects plus four law enforcement personnel" had been killed during the action.

Authorities later reported that early calculations shows that 117 individuals have been killed.

The legal assistance organization, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has calculated the overall count of casualties as 132.

Per investigative findings, the gang is the only criminal group that in the past few years has been able to make territorial gains throughout Rio state.

Experts commonly view one of the two largest gangs nationally, alongside a rival criminal group, with a background spanning over five decades.

According to Brazilian journalist an expert, who has long reported on illegal operations in Rio over many years, Red Command "operates like a franchise" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and acting as "operational allies".

The criminal group concentrates largely on illegal drug trade, while also dealing in firearms, precious metals, fuel, alcohol smoking products.

Per law enforcement statements, organization members have substantial firearms and authorities stated that during the raid, they came under attack using drone-delivered explosives.

The governor of the state, Cláudio Castro, characterized organization participants as "narcoterrorists" and referred to the law enforcement personnel killed in the raid as brave public servants.

But the number of fatalities in the operation has faced scrutiny with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressing they felt "shocked".

In a media appearance the next day, the state leader justified security actions.

"It wasn't our intention to kill anyone. We aimed to arrest them all alive," he said.

He continued that the events had escalated as the individuals fought back: "It occurred of the retaliation they executed and the excessive violence from the gang members."

The state leader also said that the casualties displayed by locals in the area were "altered".

In a post on social media, he asserted that certain victims had been removed of the camouflage clothing which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation to security forces".

A police official representing security forces also said that military attire, vests, and arms" were taken away from the casualties and showed footage appearing to show a man removing tactical gear {off a corpse