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The eyewitness

A reporter who observed the results of a massive Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has reported how community members came back with disfigured remains of those who had died.

The bodies "kept piling up: the numbers kept rising", the eyewitness reported. The total contained law enforcement personnel.

A particular victim had been decapitated - others were "severely damaged", he reported. Many also had evidence of knife injuries.

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 initially learned to the raid in the early hours by residents living in Alemão, who contacted him informing him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The reporter went to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the casualties were being brought.

Itan explained that the police blocked media personnel from accessing the Penha neighborhood, where the police action were occurring.

"Law enforcement personnel established a perimeter and announced: 'Media representatives are not allowed to pass'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who spent his childhood in the area, reported he was able to make his way past the security perimeter, where he stayed until dawn.

He described during the night, community members began to search the mountainous area that separates the Penha neighborhood from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for loved ones who had been missing following the security action.

Local people of the Penha neighbourhood proceeded to place the discovered victims in a public space - the documented evidence display the emotions of the people there.

"The brutality of it all affected me a lot: the pain of loved ones, mothers fainting, women carrying children, sobbing, angry family members," the photographer recalled.

The photographer

The official of the state announced that the massive police operation deploying about 2,500 security personnel was aimed at preventing a gang known as Comando Vermelho from expanding its territory.

Initially, local officials maintained that "60 suspects and four police officers" lost their lives in the operation.

They have since said that their "preliminary" count indicates that 117 individuals have been killed.

Rio's public defender's office, which provides legal assistance to low-income residents, has calculated the final tally of fatalities as 132.

Per investigative findings, Red Command stands as the sole illegal faction that recently has managed to increase its control across the region.

Experts commonly view one of the two largest gangs in Brazil, in company with First Capital Command, featuring a timeline spanning over five decades.

Per reporter Rafael Soares, who has long reported on criminal activity in the city for years, the gang "works as a system" with local criminal leaders joining the organization and serving as "business partners".

The criminal group focuses mainly on drug trafficking, but also smuggles guns, gold, petroleum products, alcohol and tobacco.

Per law enforcement statements, gang members possess significant weaponry and authorities stated that during the raid, they encountered resistance from explosive-laden drones.

The official of the state, the political leader, characterized organization participants as "narcoterrorists" and called the law enforcement personnel killed in the raid as brave public servants.

But the number of people killed in the security action has faced scrutiny from UN human rights officials stating they were "horrified".

During a press briefing on Wednesday, the official supported law enforcement.

"We did not plan to result in deaths. We aimed to detain everyone safely," he declared.

He added that the situation worsened due to the alleged criminals had retaliated: "It was a consequence of the counterattack they carried out and the overwhelming response from the gang members."

The official further reported that the bodies displayed by locals in Penha had been "tampered with".

Through a message through digital channels, he claimed that certain victims had been removed of tactical gear he said they had been wearing "in order to shift blame to security forces".

A police official from the police department additionally stated that tactical gear, protective equipment, and weapons" were taken away from the bodies and displayed evidence appearing to show an individual cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse