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The eyewitness

An eyewitness who witnessed the consequences of a massive security raid in the metropolitan area has reported how residents came back with badly injured victims of those who had died.

The victims "kept piling up: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", Bruno Itan reported. The total contained those of police officers.

One of the bodies was found without a head - others were "completely mutilated", he said. Several bodies showed what appeared to be blade trauma.

Over 120 individuals were killed in the Tuesday operation against a criminal group - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen.

The photographer explained that he initially learned concerning the action in the early hours by local people of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages alerting him there was a shoot-out.

The eyewitness went to the healthcare center, where the bodies were being brought.

The photographer stated that security forces stopped members of the press from accessing the Penha neighborhood, where the police action were occurring.

"Security forces created a barrier and declared: 'The press doesn't get past here'."

However, the photographer, who spent his childhood in that neighborhood, stated he managed to enter past the security perimeter, where he continued until dawn.

He reported that evening, area inhabitants commenced searching the mountainous area that separates the community of Penha and the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for family members who had been missing after the operation.

Community members living in Penha proceeded to place the discovered victims in a square - and Itan's photos reveal the response of the gathered crowd.

"The brutality of the situation impacted me a lot: the grief of loved ones, women collapsing, pregnant wives, sobbing, angry family members," the reporter recounted.

The photographer

The governor of Rio state stated that the extensive law enforcement effort deploying about 2,500 security personnel was aimed at halting an illegal organization known as Red Command from expanding its territory.

At first, state authorities claimed that "60 suspects plus four law enforcement personnel" were fatally injured during the action.

Officials subsequently stated that early calculations indicates that 117 individuals have been killed.

The legal assistance organization, that offers legal help to the poor, has calculated the overall count of fatalities at 132.

Per investigative findings, the gang stands as the sole illegal faction that in the past few years has managed to make territorial gains across the region.

It is generally regarded as a major illegal faction nationally, together with First Capital Command, with a background dating back more than 50 years.

Per Brazilian journalist an expert, with extensive experience documenting crime in Rio over many years, Red Command "works as a system" with local criminal leaders joining the organization and acting as "business partners".

The gang engages primarily in drug trafficking, while also dealing in firearms, gold, energy resources, beverages smoking products.

Per law enforcement statements, gang members are well armed and officials reported that during the raid, they encountered resistance using drone-delivered explosives.

The official of the state, Cláudio Castro, described gang affiliates as "narcoterrorists" and described the four police officers who died during the operation as brave public servants.

However, the count of fatalities in the operation has come in for criticism with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights saying it was "horrified".

In a media appearance the next day, the official defended the police force.

"It wasn't our intention to cause fatalities. We aimed to detain everyone safely," he said.

He further explained that the events had escalated as the individuals fought back: "It was a consequence of the counterattack they executed and the excessive violence from the gang members."

The official further reported that the bodies shown by residents in Penha had been "tampered with".

In a post on social media, he claimed that certain victims had been taken of tactical gear he said they had been wearing "in order to shift blame to security forces".

Felipe Curi representing security forces additionally stated that tactical gear, protective equipment, and firearms" were taken away from the casualties and showed footage seemingly depicting an individual cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse