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The eyewitness

A reporter who documented the aftermath of an extensive Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has reported how community members came back with disfigured remains of the deceased individuals.

The victims "continued arriving: the count kept increasing", the photographer stated. The total contained security forces.

A particular victim had been decapitated - others were "completely mutilated", he said. Several bodies showed evidence of blade trauma.

Over 120 individuals were killed during Tuesday's raid targeting an illegal organization - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen.

The eyewitness explained that he initially learned concerning the action Tuesday morning by residents from the Alemão area, who contacted him informing him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The eyewitness traveled to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the casualties were arriving.

Itan explained that law enforcement blocked media personnel from going into the affected area, where the police action were taking place.

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

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who was raised in that neighborhood, explained he succeeded to gain access into the restricted zone, where he stayed through the night.

He explained that evening, local residents began to search the mountainous area that borders the Penha neighborhood from the adjacent Alemão area for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown following the security action.

Community members of the Penha neighbourhood organized the discovered victims in an open area - the documented evidence show the response of the gathered crowd.

"The harsh reality of what occurred impacted me profoundly: the pain of loved ones, mothers fainting, expectant spouses, crying, furious relatives," the photographer recalled.

The photographer

The governor of Rio state stated that the large-scale security action with approximately 2,500 law enforcement members was designed to preventing an illegal organization known as Red Command from increasing their control.

At first, state authorities claimed that sixty alleged criminals plus four law enforcement personnel" were fatally injured in the raid.

Authorities later reported that initial estimates shows that 117 individuals have been killed.

Rio's public defender's office, that offers legal help to disadvantaged individuals, has put the total number of casualties as 132.

Based on expert analysis, Red Command stands as the sole illegal faction that recently has managed to increase its control throughout Rio state.

It is generally regarded among the biggest criminal organizations nationally, together with another major gang, featuring a timeline extending half a century.

Based on correspondent an expert, who has been covering crime in Rio for years, Red Command "works as a system" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and acting as "commercial associates".

The organization concentrates largely on drug trafficking, while also dealing in weapons, precious metals, energy resources, alcohol smoking products.

Per law enforcement statements, criminal affiliates possess significant weaponry and authorities stated that while the action was underway, they came under attack using drone-delivered explosives.

The state leader of the state, Cláudio Castro, characterized organization participants as criminal extremists and described the security forces who died during the operation as "heroes".

However, the count of people killed during the raid has come in for criticism with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights saying it was "appalled".

In a media appearance on Wednesday, the official justified security actions.

"It wasn't our intention to cause fatalities. We aimed to detain everyone safely," he stated.

He continued that the circumstances intensified due to the alleged criminals resisted aggressively: "It resulted of the resistance they carried out and the disproportionate use of force by the illegal group."

The state leader also said that the victims displayed by locals in the area were "altered".

Via a statement on online platforms, he asserted that particular individuals had been stripped of tactical gear that he stated they possessed "to redirect responsibility to security forces".

Felipe Curi representing security forces also said that "camouflage clothing, vests, and arms" had been removed from the bodies and showed footage apparently demonstrating a person removing tactical gear {off a corpse