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The photographer

A photographer who documented the results of a large-scale law enforcement action in the Brazilian city has recounted how community members returned with mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The casualties "kept piling up: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", Bruno Itan reported. They included law enforcement personnel.

One individual was found without a head - additional victims were "completely mutilated", he explained. Several bodies showed what appeared to be blade trauma.

In excess of 120 victims were killed during Tuesday's raid targeting an illegal organization - the bloodiest action Rio has experienced.

The photographer stated that he was first alerted about the operation in the early hours by local people from the Alemão area, who sent him messages alerting him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The eyewitness went to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the victims were being brought.

Itan explained that security forces prevented journalists from going into the Penha neighborhood, where the security measures were taking place.

"Security forces formed a line and announced: 'Journalists doesn't get past here'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who grew up in the community, stated he succeeded to enter past the security perimeter, where he remained until dawn.

He described during the night, local residents commenced searching the mountainous area that borders the Penha neighborhood from the adjacent Alemão area for family members who were unaccounted for after the operation.

Community members living in Penha proceeded to place the located casualties in a public space - and Itan's photos reveal the emotions of the gathered crowd.

"The brutality of the situation impacted me a lot: the pain of loved ones, women collapsing, pregnant wives, sobbing, furious relatives," the photographer recalled.

The eyewitness

The state leader of Rio state announced that the extensive law enforcement effort involving around 2,500 officers was intended to preventing a criminal group called Red Command from growing their influence.

Initially, state authorities maintained that sixty alleged criminals along with four officers" were fatally injured in the operation.

Authorities later reported that initial estimates shows that 117 individuals have been killed.

The legal assistance organization, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has put the overall count of people killed to be 132.

According to researchers, Red Command stands as the sole illegal faction which in recent years has succeeded to increase its control in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is widely considered one of the two largest gangs nationally, together with a rival criminal group, featuring a timeline dating back more than 50 years.

Based on Brazilian journalist an expert, with extensive experience documenting crime in Rio over many years, Red Command "functions as a network" with local criminal leaders affiliating with the group and serving as "business partners".

The organization concentrates largely on narcotics distribution, additionally trafficking guns, precious metals, fuel, alcohol and tobacco.

Based on official reports, criminal affiliates have substantial firearms and officials reported that throughout the operation, they came under attack via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The state leader of the region, Cláudio Castro, characterized gang affiliates as drug terrorists and called the four police officers fatally injured in the action as "heroes".

However, the count of casualties during the raid has faced scrutiny with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressing they felt "shocked".

In a media appearance on Wednesday, the official defended the police force.

"There was no objective to cause fatalities. We intended to take suspects into custody without harm," he stated.

He continued that the circumstances worsened because the suspects fought back: "It resulted of the counterattack they carried out and the overwhelming response from the gang members."

The official further reported that the victims shown by residents in the neighborhood had been "manipulated".

Via a statement on online platforms, he asserted that particular individuals had been stripped of military-style attire which he claimed they wore "in order to shift blame toward law enforcement".

Felipe Curi representing security forces also said that tactical gear, protective equipment, and arms" had been removed from the victims and presented video apparently demonstrating an individual cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse