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Bruno Itan

A reporter who documented the aftermath of a large-scale law enforcement action in the Brazilian city has described how residents returned with mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The casualties "continued arriving: the numbers kept rising", Bruno Itan stated. Among them were law enforcement personnel.

One individual had been decapitated - others were "severely damaged", he reported. Numerous victims displayed evidence of knife injuries.

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

The photographer stated that he initially learned to the raid early on Tuesday by local people of the Alemão neighbourhood, who contacted him informing him gunfire had erupted.

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

Itan explained that the police prevented journalists from accessing the Penha neighborhood, where the police action was under way.

"Law enforcement personnel formed a line and announced: 'Media representatives cannot proceed beyond this point'."

However, the photographer, who grew up in the community, stated he was able to make his way into the restricted zone, where he stayed until the next morning.

He explained that evening, local residents began to search the mountainous area which divides the Penha neighborhood from the adjacent Alemão area for family members who had been missing after the operation.

Residents from the Penha area arranged the recovered bodies in a public space - the documented evidence display the response of the people there.

"The brutality of it all impacted me profoundly: the grief of loved ones, parents losing consciousness, expectant spouses, weeping, angry family members," the reporter recounted.

The eyewitness

The governor of the state announced that the large-scale security action deploying about 2,500 law enforcement members was designed to halting a criminal group called the criminal faction from increasing their control.

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

Officials subsequently stated that their "preliminary" count shows that 117 alleged criminals have been killed.

Rio's public defender's office, which provides legal assistance to low-income residents, has estimated the overall count of people killed to be 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization stands as the sole illegal faction which in recent years has succeeded to make territorial gains throughout Rio state.

It is widely considered among the biggest criminal organizations in the country, in company with a rival criminal group, featuring a timeline extending half a century.

Based on correspondent Rafael Soares, who has been covering illegal operations in Rio extensively, Red Command "operates like a franchise" with neighborhood bosses joining the organization and acting as "business partners".

The gang concentrates largely on illegal drug trade, while also dealing in weapons, gold, energy resources, beverages smoking products.

Based on official reports, organization members have substantial firearms and authorities stated that during the raid, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The governor of the region, the political leader, characterized Red Command members as drug terrorists and referred to the security forces who died during the operation as brave public servants.

But the number of fatalities during the raid has come in for criticism from UN human rights officials saying it was "shocked".

At a news conference the following day, the state leader defended the police force.

"It wasn't our intention to kill anyone. We wanted to detain everyone safely," he declared.

He further explained that the events worsened as the individuals fought back: "It occurred of the counterattack they executed and the excessive violence by the illegal group."

The governor additionally stated that the casualties shown by residents in Penha were "altered".

Via a statement on online platforms, he said that certain victims had been taken of military-style attire which he claimed they wore "to redirect responsibility onto the police".

Felipe Curi representing security forces also said that "camouflage clothing, protective equipment, and firearms" were taken away from the bodies and displayed evidence apparently demonstrating a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse