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The eyewitness

A reporter who observed the aftermath of a large-scale law enforcement action in the Brazilian city has recounted how local people came back with mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The casualties "kept coming: the count kept increasing", the eyewitness reported. They included law enforcement personnel.

One of the bodies was found without a head - others were "severely damaged", he said. Several bodies showed what appeared to be stab wounds.

Over 120 individuals were fatally injured in the Tuesday operation on a criminal gang - the bloodiest action in the city.

The eyewitness explained that he initially learned about the operation in the early hours by local people of the Alemão neighbourhood, who contacted him informing him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The photographer went to the healthcare center, where the casualties were being brought.

The eyewitness reported that law enforcement prevented journalists from going into the Penha neighborhood, where the security measures were taking place.

"Police officers formed a line and announced: 'The press cannot proceed beyond this point'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who was raised in that neighborhood, stated he was able to make his way into the cordoned-off area, where he continued through the night.

He reported that evening, local residents commenced searching the mountainous area which divides the community of Penha and the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for relatives who were unaccounted for following the security action.

Community members from the Penha area arranged the recovered bodies in a square - and Itan's photos display the emotions of the people there.

"The harsh reality of what occurred impacted me deeply: the pain of the families, parents losing consciousness, expectant spouses, weeping, outraged parents," the reporter recounted.

The photographer

The governor of the region stated that the extensive law enforcement effort deploying about 2,500 officers was intended to stopping a gang called Red Command from expanding its territory.

Initially, local officials maintained that sixty individuals along with four officers" had been killed in the operation.

They have since said that initial estimates suggests that 117 alleged criminals have been killed.

The legal assistance organization, which provides legal assistance to disadvantaged individuals, has estimated the total number of people killed to be 132.

According to researchers, the gang is the only criminal group that in the past few years has succeeded to expand its territory throughout Rio state.

It is generally regarded one of the two largest gangs in Brazil, together with a rival criminal group, with a background dating back more than 50 years.

Per reporter a specialist, who has been covering criminal activity in the city for years, the gang "works as a system" with local criminal leaders affiliating with the group and acting as "commercial associates".

The criminal group engages primarily in drug trafficking, additionally trafficking firearms, precious metals, energy resources, alcohol smoking products.

Per law enforcement statements, organization members have substantial firearms and authorities stated that during the raid, they came under attack via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The governor of the state, the government representative, labeled Red Command members as drug terrorists and called the four police officers who died during the operation as "heroes".

But the number of people killed in the security action has come in for criticism from international human rights authorities saying it was "shocked".

During a press briefing the next day, the official defended the police force.

"It wasn't our intention to result in deaths. We intended to take suspects into custody without harm," he declared.

He continued that the situation had escalated as the individuals had retaliated: "It was a consequence of the resistance they carried out and the overwhelming response by those criminals."

The official further reported that the bodies shown by residents in the area had been "manipulated".

Via a statement on social media, he claimed that some of them had been taken of tactical gear that he stated they possessed "to redirect responsibility to security forces".

A police official of Rio's civil police force additionally stated that "camouflage clothing, body armor, and arms" had been removed from the bodies and displayed evidence appearing to show a person stripping military attire {off a corpse