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The eyewitness

An eyewitness who documented the aftermath of a massive Brazilian police operation in the Brazilian city has described how community members returned with mutilated bodies of people who lost their lives.

The victims "continued arriving: the count kept increasing", the eyewitness described. They included law enforcement personnel.

One of the bodies was discovered headless - additional victims were "totally disfigured", he explained. Numerous victims displayed what appeared to be stab wounds.

More than 120 people lost their lives in the Tuesday operation against a criminal group - the deadliest such raid the municipality has seen.

The photographer explained that he was first alerted to the raid early on Tuesday by community members living in Alemão, who reached out informing him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The reporter went to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the victims were coming in.

The eyewitness reported that the police prevented journalists from going into the Penha neighborhood, where the police action were taking place.

"Police officers formed a line and said: 'The press doesn't get past here'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who spent his childhood in that neighborhood, stated he succeeded to gain access into the restricted zone, where he continued until dawn.

He described that Tuesday night, community members started looking the elevated terrain which divides the Penha neighborhood from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for loved ones who had been missing after the operation.

Community members of the Penha neighbourhood organized the located casualties in an open area - the photographer's images display the response of those present.

"The harsh reality of it all shook me profoundly: the pain of loved ones, parents losing consciousness, pregnant wives, sobbing, furious relatives," the photographer recalled.

The eyewitness

The state leader of the region declared that the large-scale security action with approximately 2,500 security personnel was aimed at preventing an illegal organization known as Red Command from expanding its territory.

Originally, state authorities maintained that sixty individuals along with four officers" lost their lives in the raid.

They have since said that initial estimates suggests that 117 alleged criminals lost their lives.

Rio's public defender's office, which provides legal assistance to the poor, has calculated the final tally of casualties at 132.

Per investigative findings, the gang represents the unique criminal entity which in recent years has managed to make territorial gains in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is widely considered one of the two largest gangs nationally, in company with another major gang, with a background spanning over five decades.

According to correspondent a specialist, who has long reported on criminal activity in the city over many years, the gang "functions as a network" with neighborhood bosses affiliating with the group and serving as "commercial associates".

The criminal group concentrates largely on illegal drug trade, while also dealing in guns, gold, petroleum products, beverages cigarettes.

Per law enforcement statements, criminal affiliates have substantial firearms and authorities stated that while the action was underway, they faced assaults via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The official of the state, the political leader, characterized Red Command members as drug terrorists and referred to the security forces fatally injured in the action as "heroes".

Nevertheless, the total of fatalities in the security action has received condemnation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressing they felt "horrified".

At a news conference the following day, Governor Castro defended the police force.

"We did not plan to kill anyone. We wanted to arrest them all alive," he said.

He added that the events intensified because the suspects fought back: "It resulted of the counterattack they carried out and the excessive violence by those criminals."

The governor additionally stated that the casualties shown by residents in the area had been "manipulated".

Via a statement on social media, he said that certain victims had been stripped of military-style attire which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation onto the police".

A police official representing security forces also said that tactical gear, vests, and firearms" had been removed from the casualties and showed footage appearing to show a person removing tactical gear {off a corpse