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The eyewitness

A photographer who documented the aftermath of a large-scale security raid in the Brazilian city has described how local people brought back disfigured remains of those who had died.

The casualties "continued arriving: the numbers kept rising", Bruno Itan described. Among them were law enforcement personnel.

One individual was discovered headless - additional victims were "totally disfigured", he reported. Numerous victims displayed what appeared to be knife injuries.

More than 120 people were killed during the security action against a criminal group - the deadliest such raid the municipality has seen.

The photographer reported that he was first alerted concerning the action Tuesday morning by residents of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages alerting him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The reporter traveled to the healthcare center, where the victims were coming in.

The eyewitness reported that the police prevented journalists from entering the affected area, where the security measures were occurring.

"Law enforcement personnel created a barrier and announced: 'Journalists cannot proceed beyond this point'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who was raised in the community, stated he managed to enter into the restricted zone, where he continued through the night.

He reported that Tuesday night, area inhabitants began to search the elevated terrain which divides Penha from the neighboring Alemão community for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown after the operation.

Community members of the Penha neighbourhood arranged the located casualties in a square - and Itan's photos display the reaction of the gathered crowd.

"The harsh reality of what occurred affected me profoundly: the pain of relatives, mothers fainting, women carrying children, crying, angry family members," the reporter recounted.

The eyewitness

The official of the state announced that the massive police operation with approximately 2,500 officers was designed to preventing a criminal group known as the criminal faction from increasing their control.

At first, state authorities claimed that "60 suspects plus four law enforcement personnel" had been killed in the operation.

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

Rio's public defender's office, which provides legal assistance to low-income residents, has put the overall count of fatalities as 132.

Based on expert analysis, the criminal organization stands as the sole illegal faction which in recent years has been able to make territorial gains throughout Rio state.

It is generally regarded among the biggest criminal organizations in the country, in company with First Capital Command, with a background extending half a century.

Per reporter an expert, with extensive experience documenting crime in Rio for years, Red Command "operates like a franchise" with area gang leaders affiliating with the group and becoming "business partners".

The organization focuses mainly on narcotics distribution, additionally trafficking guns, valuable minerals, petroleum products, liquor smoking products.

Per law enforcement statements, criminal affiliates have substantial firearms and police said that during the raid, they encountered resistance via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The official of the state, Cláudio Castro, characterized organization participants as criminal extremists and called the security forces fatally injured in the action as brave public servants.

However, the count of people killed in the operation has faced scrutiny with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressing they felt "appalled".

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

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

He further explained that the circumstances intensified as the individuals fought back: "It was a consequence of the counterattack they executed and the disproportionate use of force from the gang members."

The state leader also said that the bodies shown by residents in Penha had been "manipulated".

Through a message through digital channels, he said that certain victims had been removed of military-style attire which he claimed they wore "to redirect responsibility toward law enforcement".

A police official from the police department additionally stated that "camouflage clothing, body armor, and weapons" had been removed from the casualties and displayed evidence apparently demonstrating an individual cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse