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The eyewitness

A photographer who witnessed the results of a large-scale Brazilian police operation in the metropolitan area has described how residents returned with disfigured remains of people who lost their lives.

The bodies "kept piling up: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the photographer stated. Among them were those of police officers.

A particular victim had been decapitated - others were "totally disfigured", he explained. Numerous victims displayed evidence of stab wounds.

Over 120 individuals lost their lives in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the most lethal operation Rio has experienced.

Bruno Itan reported that he was first alerted about the operation in the early hours by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who reached out informing him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The reporter traveled to the healthcare center, where the bodies were being brought.

The photographer stated that law enforcement stopped members of the press from entering the affected area, where the police action were taking place.

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

However, the photographer, who was raised in that neighborhood, stated he succeeded to gain access into the restricted zone, where he continued until dawn.

He described during the night, community members commenced searching the mountainous area that separates the Penha neighborhood from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for relatives who were unaccounted for after the operation.

Community members living in Penha arranged the located casualties in a square - and Itan's photos display the emotions of those present.

"The violence of what occurred shook me profoundly: the pain of relatives, women collapsing, expectant spouses, weeping, furious relatives," the eyewitness remembered.

The photographer

The state leader of the region announced that the large-scale security action deploying about 2,500 security personnel was aimed at halting a criminal group referred to as Red Command from increasing their control.

Originally, the Rio state government claimed that sixty individuals along with four officers" had been killed in the operation.

Authorities later reported that their "preliminary" count shows that 117 alleged criminals were fatally injured.

The legal assistance organization, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has calculated the total number of people killed at 132.

Based on expert analysis, the gang represents the unique criminal entity that recently has managed to increase its control across the region.

It is widely considered among the biggest criminal organizations in the country, alongside First Capital Command, and has a history spanning over five decades.

Based on reporter an expert, who has been covering illegal operations in Rio over many years, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with local criminal leaders joining the organization and becoming "operational allies".

The gang concentrates largely on drug trafficking, but also smuggles firearms, precious metals, energy resources, alcohol and tobacco.

Per law enforcement statements, gang members are well armed and police said that during the raid, they faced assaults from explosive-laden drones.

The governor of the state, the government representative, labeled gang affiliates as drug terrorists and called the security forces who died during the operation as brave public servants.

However, the count of people killed during the raid has received condemnation from international human rights authorities expressing they felt "appalled".

At a news conference on Wednesday, Governor Castro justified security actions.

"It wasn't our intention to kill anyone. We wanted to take suspects into custody without harm," he stated.

He continued that the circumstances worsened due to the alleged criminals fought back: "It was a consequence of the counterattack they implemented and the excessive violence by those criminals."

The state leader further reported that the bodies presented by community members in the area had been "tampered with".

In a post through digital channels, he said that particular individuals had been removed of military-style attire that he stated they possessed "to redirect responsibility to security forces".

A police official from the police department additionally stated that "camouflage clothing, vests, and arms" had been removed from the victims and displayed evidence apparently demonstrating a person cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse