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The eyewitness

A reporter who documented the consequences of a large-scale law enforcement action in the metropolitan area has reported how residents brought back badly injured victims of those who had died.

The bodies "kept piling up: the count kept increasing", the eyewitness described. Among them were law enforcement personnel.

A particular victim had been decapitated - additional victims were "totally disfigured", he reported. Many also had what appeared to be blade trauma.

Over 120 individuals were fatally injured in the Tuesday operation on a criminal gang - the deadliest such raid in the city.

Bruno Itan reported that he initially learned concerning the action Tuesday morning by community members living in Alemão, who reached out informing him an armed confrontation was occurring.

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

The eyewitness reported that security forces blocked media personnel from accessing the affected area, where the operation was under way.

"Security forces created a barrier and said: 'Journalists cannot proceed beyond this point'."

However, the photographer, who spent his childhood in that neighborhood, reported he was able to make his way past the security perimeter, where he stayed until the next morning.

He described during the night, local residents started looking the hillside which divides the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for loved ones whose whereabouts were unknown since the police raid.

Residents of the Penha neighbourhood arranged the discovered victims in an open area - the photographer's images show the response of those present.

"The harsh reality of it all affected me profoundly: the sorrow of loved ones, mothers fainting, expectant spouses, crying, angry family members," the reporter recounted.

The eyewitness

The governor of the state declared that the large-scale security action with approximately 2,500 officers was intended to preventing an illegal organization known as Red Command from expanding its territory.

At first, state authorities claimed that "60 suspects and four police officers" were fatally injured during the action.

They have since said that their "preliminary" count shows that 117 individuals have been killed.

Rio's public defender's office, that offers legal help to low-income residents, has estimated the final tally of fatalities to be 132.

Per investigative findings, Red Command represents the unique criminal entity which in recent years has been able to increase its control throughout Rio state.

It is widely considered as a major illegal faction in Brazil, together with a rival criminal group, and has a history spanning over five decades.

Based on correspondent an expert, who has long reported on criminal activity in the city over many years, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with neighborhood bosses affiliating with the group and acting as "commercial associates".

The criminal group concentrates largely on drug trafficking, but also smuggles weapons, valuable minerals, petroleum products, beverages cigarettes.

Based on official reports, criminal affiliates are well armed and police said that during the raid, they came under attack via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The governor of Rio state, the political leader, described gang affiliates as "narcoterrorists" and described the security forces who died during the operation as "heroes".

But the number of casualties during the raid has faced scrutiny from UN human rights officials stating they were "horrified".

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

"There was no objective to result in deaths. We aimed to take suspects into custody without harm," he said.

He added that the circumstances intensified as the individuals fought back: "It resulted of the resistance they executed and the excessive violence by the illegal group."

The governor additionally stated that the casualties displayed by locals in the neighborhood were "altered".

In a post through digital channels, he claimed that certain victims had been taken of tactical gear that he stated they possessed "to redirect responsibility onto the police".

A police official representing security forces also said that tactical gear, body armor, and arms" had been removed from the victims and presented video apparently demonstrating a person cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse