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The eyewitness

A photographer who witnessed the results of a large-scale law enforcement action in the Brazilian city has described how community members came back with disfigured remains of those who had died.

The victims "continued arriving: the numbers kept rising", the photographer reported. The total contained security forces.

One of the bodies was found without a head - others were "completely mutilated", he explained. Many also had what appeared to be knife injuries.

More than 120 people were killed in the Tuesday operation on a criminal gang - the deadliest such raid the municipality has seen.

The eyewitness stated that he initially learned concerning the action early on Tuesday by community members living in Alemão, who sent him messages alerting him there was a shoot-out.

The photographer traveled to a local medical facility, where the casualties were coming in.

The eyewitness reported that the police blocked media personnel from going into the affected area, where the security measures were taking place.

"Law enforcement personnel formed a line and said: 'Journalists doesn't get past here'."

But Itan, who grew up in the area, stated he managed to enter into the restricted zone, where he remained through the night.

He reported during the night, community members started looking the hillside that separates the Penha neighborhood from the adjacent Alemão area for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown following the security action.

Residents from the Penha area proceeded to place the discovered victims in a public space - the documented evidence display the response of those present.

"The violence of the situation shook me deeply: the grief of the families, mothers fainting, expectant spouses, weeping, angry family members," the eyewitness remembered.

Bruno Itan

The governor of the state declared that the large-scale security action with approximately 2,500 law enforcement members was intended to halting a criminal group referred to as Red Command from increasing their control.

Originally, local officials stated that sixty alleged criminals along with four officers" were fatally injured in the operation.

They have since said that early calculations indicates that 117 individuals have been killed.

The legal assistance organization, that gives legal support to the poor, has estimated the overall count of fatalities as 132.

Based on expert analysis, the gang stands as the sole illegal faction that in the past few years has managed to make territorial gains across the region.

Experts commonly view one of the two largest gangs nationally, together with a rival criminal group, featuring a timeline spanning over five decades.

Per reporter a specialist, with extensive experience documenting illegal operations in Rio over many years, the criminal organization "functions as a network" with local criminal leaders joining the organization and becoming "operational allies".

The criminal group focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, additionally trafficking weapons, gold, fuel, alcohol cigarettes.

Based on official reports, criminal affiliates have substantial firearms and authorities stated that during the raid, they encountered resistance from explosive-laden drones.

The state leader of Rio state, the government representative, labeled gang affiliates as "narcoterrorists" and described the law enforcement personnel killed in the raid as brave public servants.

Nevertheless, the total of casualties in the security action has faced scrutiny with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights saying it was "horrified".

In a media appearance the next day, Governor Castro justified security actions.

"It wasn't our intention to cause fatalities. We aimed to arrest them all alive," he stated.

He continued that the circumstances had escalated as the individuals fought back: "It was a consequence of the retaliation they carried out and the disproportionate use of force by those criminals."

The official further reported that the victims shown by residents in Penha had been "tampered with".

Via a statement on social media, he asserted that some of them had been removed of tactical gear he said they had been wearing "to redirect responsibility toward law enforcement".

A police official from the police department also said that "camouflage clothing, body armor, and firearms" were taken away from the victims and presented video appearing to show a man stripping military attire {off a corpse