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The photographer

An eyewitness who witnessed the consequences of a large-scale Brazilian police operation in the Brazilian city has reported how community members came back with mutilated bodies of people who lost their lives.

The bodies "kept piling up: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the photographer reported. Among them were security forces.

A particular victim was discovered headless - additional victims were "completely mutilated", he said. Several bodies showed what he described as stab wounds.

Over 120 individuals were killed during Tuesday's raid against a criminal group - the deadliest such raid Rio has experienced.

The eyewitness explained that he initially learned concerning the action in the early hours by residents living in Alemão, who sent him messages telling him gunfire had erupted.

The reporter made his way to the healthcare center, where the casualties were being brought.

The eyewitness reported that security forces stopped members of the press from entering the affected area, where the operation were occurring.

"Police officers created a barrier and declared: 'The press cannot proceed beyond this point'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who was raised in the area, stated he managed to gain access into the restricted zone, where he remained through the night.

He described during the night, community members commenced searching the hillside that borders the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for loved ones whose whereabouts were unknown following the security action.

Local people of the Penha neighbourhood proceeded to place the located casualties in a public space - and Itan's photos reveal the reaction of the people there.

"The brutality of it all impacted me profoundly: the pain of relatives, women collapsing, women carrying children, crying, furious relatives," the photographer recalled.

The eyewitness

The state leader of the region stated that the extensive law enforcement effort involving around 2,500 security personnel was intended to stopping a criminal group known as Comando Vermelho from growing their influence.

At first, local officials maintained that sixty individuals plus four law enforcement personnel" were fatally injured during the action.

They have since said that their "preliminary" count indicates that 117 alleged criminals were fatally injured.

Rio's public defender's office, which provides legal assistance to disadvantaged individuals, has put the final tally of people killed to be 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization stands as the sole illegal faction that in the past few years has managed to expand its territory across the region.

It is generally regarded as a major illegal faction in the country, in company with another major gang, featuring a timeline spanning over five decades.

Based on Brazilian journalist Rafael Soares, who has long reported on illegal operations in Rio for years, the criminal organization "functions as a network" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and serving as "commercial associates".

The gang engages primarily in illegal drug trade, additionally trafficking firearms, precious metals, petroleum products, liquor and tobacco.

Based on official reports, organization members are well armed and officials reported that while the action was underway, they encountered resistance via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The official of the region, the political leader, characterized gang affiliates as drug terrorists and called the four police officers who died during the operation as courageous individuals.

But the number of casualties in the operation has come in for criticism from international human rights authorities saying it was "appalled".

During a press briefing the next day, Governor Castro supported law enforcement.

"We did not plan to cause fatalities. We wanted to take suspects into custody without harm," he stated.

He further explained that the situation worsened because the suspects fought back: "It occurred of the counterattack they executed and the overwhelming response from the gang members."

The governor also said that the bodies shown by residents in the area had been "tampered with".

Via a statement on social media, he claimed that particular individuals had been removed of military-style attire that he stated they possessed "in order to shift blame to security forces".

A police official of Rio's civil police force additionally stated that "camouflage clothing, protective equipment, and weapons" were taken away from the bodies and displayed evidence seemingly depicting a man stripping military attire {off a corpse