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The eyewitness

A photographer who observed the consequences of an extensive security raid in the metropolitan area has reported how local people came back with mutilated bodies of those who had died.

The bodies "kept piling up: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", Bruno Itan stated. Among them were security forces.

A particular victim was found without a head - others were "totally disfigured", he explained. Several bodies showed evidence of knife injuries.

Over 120 individuals were fatally injured during Tuesday's raid targeting an illegal organization - the most lethal operation in the city.

Bruno Itan reported that residents first notified him to the raid early on Tuesday by residents from the Alemão area, who reached out alerting him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The reporter went to the healthcare center, where the casualties were coming in.

The photographer stated that security forces stopped members of the press from going into the affected area, where the operation was under way.

"Police officers established a perimeter and declared: 'The press are not allowed to pass'."

But Itan, who spent his childhood in the community, reported he succeeded to gain access into the cordoned-off area, where he stayed through the night.

He reported that evening, community members commenced searching the mountainous area that separates the community of Penha and the adjacent Alemão area for family members who were unaccounted for after the operation.

Residents of the Penha neighbourhood organized the located casualties in a square - and Itan's photos display the reaction of the people there.

"The harsh reality of it all shook me deeply: the pain of the families, mothers fainting, pregnant wives, crying, furious relatives," the eyewitness remembered.

The photographer

The official of the region stated that the extensive law enforcement effort deploying about 2,500 security personnel was aimed at stopping a gang known as Comando Vermelho from increasing their control.

Initially, state authorities maintained that sixty individuals plus four law enforcement personnel" were fatally injured during the action.

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

Rio's public defender's office, that offers legal help to the poor, has put the final tally of fatalities as 132.

Per investigative findings, the gang represents the unique criminal entity that in the past few years has managed to expand its territory across the region.

It is widely considered among the biggest criminal organizations in the country, alongside a rival criminal group, with a background dating back more than 50 years.

According to Brazilian journalist Rafael Soares, with extensive experience documenting illegal operations in Rio over many years, the criminal organization "works as a system" with neighborhood bosses forming part of the gang and becoming "operational allies".

The criminal group focuses mainly on narcotics distribution, additionally trafficking firearms, valuable minerals, petroleum products, beverages cigarettes.

Per law enforcement statements, gang members have substantial firearms and officials reported that while the action was underway, they encountered resistance using drone-delivered explosives.

The state leader of the region, the government representative, described gang affiliates as criminal extremists and referred to the security forces killed in the raid as brave public servants.

Nevertheless, the total of fatalities in the security action has faced scrutiny from UN human rights officials stating they were "shocked".

At a news conference on Wednesday, the state leader defended the police force.

"We did not plan to result in deaths. We intended to detain everyone safely," he stated.

He further explained that the events worsened because the suspects fought back: "It was a consequence of the counterattack they implemented and the disproportionate use of force by the illegal group."

The official further reported that the bodies presented by community members in Penha had been "manipulated".

In a post on online platforms, he claimed that particular individuals had been taken of tactical gear he said they had been wearing "to transfer accusation onto the police".

A police official representing security forces further reported that military attire, protective equipment, and weapons" were stripped from the casualties and presented video seemingly depicting a man stripping military attire {off a corpse