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The photographer

A photographer who observed the aftermath of a massive security raid in the Brazilian city has reported how residents brought back mutilated bodies of people who lost their lives.

The victims "kept piling up: the numbers kept rising", Bruno Itan reported. Among them were those of police officers.

One individual was found without a head - others were "severely damaged", he reported. Many also had what he described as stab wounds.

In excess of 120 victims were killed during Tuesday's raid against a criminal group - the deadliest such raid Rio has experienced.

The eyewitness stated that he initially learned to the raid early on Tuesday by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who reached out alerting him gunfire had erupted.

The eyewitness went to the healthcare center, where the bodies were arriving.

The photographer stated that law enforcement blocked media personnel from going into the Penha neighborhood, where the security measures were occurring.

"Police officers created a barrier and said: 'The press are not allowed to pass'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who spent his childhood in the community, explained he succeeded to enter past the security perimeter, where he remained through the night.

He described that evening, community members commenced searching the mountainous area that borders Penha from the neighboring Alemão community for family members who had been missing following the security action.

Community members living in Penha arranged the discovered victims in an open area - the photographer's images reveal the reaction of the gathered crowd.

"The harsh reality of it all shook me deeply: the grief of relatives, mothers fainting, women carrying children, weeping, outraged parents," the eyewitness remembered.

The eyewitness

The governor of the state declared that the massive police operation deploying about 2,500 security personnel was intended to halting an illegal organization referred to as Red Command from expanding its territory.

Originally, local officials stated that sixty individuals plus four law enforcement personnel" lost their lives during the action.

They have since said that their "preliminary" count shows that 117 alleged criminals lost their lives.

The public legal service, that gives legal support to disadvantaged individuals, has estimated the total number of casualties as 132.

Per investigative findings, the gang is the only criminal group which in recent years has been able to make territorial gains throughout Rio state.

It is generally regarded among the biggest criminal organizations nationally, together with another major gang, featuring a timeline dating back more than 50 years.

Per correspondent a specialist, who has long reported on crime in Rio extensively, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with area gang leaders affiliating with the group and becoming "operational allies".

The organization focuses mainly on narcotics distribution, but also smuggles guns, precious metals, petroleum products, alcohol and tobacco.

According to the authorities, organization members are well armed and officials reported that while the action was underway, they faced assaults using drone-delivered explosives.

The governor of Rio state, the government representative, labeled gang affiliates as "narcoterrorists" and called the law enforcement personnel who died during the operation as brave public servants.

But the number of fatalities during the raid has faced scrutiny from international human rights authorities stating they were "appalled".

At a news conference the following day, the official supported law enforcement.

"There was no objective to kill anyone. We wanted to take suspects into custody without harm," he stated.

He further explained that the circumstances worsened as the individuals had retaliated: "It occurred of the resistance they implemented and the overwhelming response by those criminals."

The state leader further reported that the bodies displayed by locals in the neighborhood were "altered".

Via a statement on online platforms, he claimed that particular individuals had been taken of the camouflage clothing that he stated they possessed "to redirect responsibility to security forces".

A law enforcement representative from the police department also said that military attire, protective equipment, and firearms" had been removed from the casualties and showed footage apparently demonstrating a man stripping military attire {off a corpse