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The photographer

A reporter who documented the consequences of a large-scale security raid in the Brazilian city has reported how community members came back with badly injured victims of the deceased individuals.

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

One of the bodies had been decapitated - additional victims were "totally disfigured", he reported. Many also had what appeared to be blade trauma.

In excess of 120 victims lost their lives in the Tuesday operation against a criminal group - the deadliest such raid in the city.

The photographer stated that residents first notified him concerning the action early on Tuesday by local people living in Alemão, who sent him messages alerting him gunfire had erupted.

The eyewitness traveled to the healthcare center, where the casualties were arriving.

Itan explained that law enforcement stopped members of the press from accessing the Penha neighborhood, where the police action was under way.

"Police officers established a perimeter and announced: 'Media representatives doesn't get past here'."

But Itan, who spent his childhood in the area, explained he managed to enter into the restricted zone, where he remained until dawn.

He reported that evening, community members started looking the hillside that borders the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for loved ones who had been missing following the security action.

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

"The brutality of it all shook me deeply: the grief of relatives, parents losing consciousness, women carrying children, weeping, outraged parents," the eyewitness remembered.

The eyewitness

The state leader of Rio state stated that the massive police operation with approximately 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at halting a criminal group known as the criminal faction from increasing their control.

Originally, the Rio state government claimed that sixty individuals plus four law enforcement personnel" had been killed during the action.

Authorities later reported that their "preliminary" count shows that 117 individuals were fatally injured.

Rio's public defender's office, which provides legal assistance to low-income residents, has estimated the final tally of fatalities at 132.

According to researchers, the criminal organization represents the unique criminal entity that recently has been able to make territorial gains across the region.

It is generally regarded among the biggest criminal organizations in the country, in company with a rival criminal group, featuring a timeline extending half a century.

Per correspondent Rafael Soares, who has been covering criminal activity in the city extensively, Red Command "works as a system" with area gang leaders affiliating with the group and becoming "business partners".

The organization focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, while also dealing in weapons, precious metals, fuel, alcohol and tobacco.

According to the authorities, organization members possess significant weaponry and authorities stated that while the action was underway, they came under attack via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The official of the region, Cláudio Castro, described gang affiliates as "narcoterrorists" and described the law enforcement personnel who died during the operation as brave public servants.

But the number of casualties in the operation has received condemnation from UN human rights officials stating they were "shocked".

During a press briefing the following day, the official supported law enforcement.

"We did not plan to kill anyone. We aimed to arrest them all alive," he declared.

He added that the events worsened because the suspects had retaliated: "It was a consequence of the retaliation they executed and the disproportionate use of force by the illegal group."

The state leader further reported that the bodies displayed by locals in the area had been "manipulated".

Through a message through digital channels, he said that some of them had been stripped of tactical gear which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation to security forces".

Felipe Curi representing security forces additionally stated that "camouflage clothing, body armor, and arms" were taken away from the bodies and showed footage apparently demonstrating a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse