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The eyewitness

A photographer who documented the results of an extensive law enforcement action in the Brazilian city has described how residents brought back mutilated bodies of those who had died.

The bodies "kept coming: the count kept increasing", the photographer reported. The total contained those of police officers.

One of the bodies was discovered headless - others were "completely mutilated", he reported. Many also had evidence of blade trauma.

In excess of 120 victims were killed during Tuesday's raid targeting an illegal organization - the deadliest such raid in the city.

Bruno Itan explained that he initially learned concerning the action Tuesday morning by community members from the Alemão area, who sent him messages alerting him there was a shoot-out.

The eyewitness made his way to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the bodies were coming in.

Itan explained that security forces prevented journalists from going into the operation zone, where the police action was under way.

"Police officers created a barrier and said: 'The press doesn't get past here'."

But Itan, who spent his childhood in that neighborhood, stated he managed to make his way into the restricted zone, where he remained until dawn.

He reported that Tuesday night, area inhabitants started looking the mountainous area that borders Penha from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for family members who had been missing following the security action.

Community members from the Penha area organized the located casualties in an open area - and Itan's photos display the emotions of those present.

"The violence of the situation impacted me deeply: the pain of the families, parents losing consciousness, pregnant wives, crying, furious relatives," the photographer recalled.

The photographer

The state leader of the region announced that the extensive law enforcement effort deploying about 2,500 security personnel was designed to stopping a criminal group known as Comando Vermelho from growing their influence.

Originally, state authorities maintained that "60 suspects along with four officers" lost their lives in the operation.

Officials subsequently stated that their "preliminary" count indicates that 117 individuals have been killed.

The public legal service, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has put the final tally of casualties to be 132.

Based on expert analysis, the gang represents the unique criminal entity which in recent years has managed to make territorial gains in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is widely considered among the biggest criminal organizations in the country, together with another major gang, with a background extending half a century.

Based on correspondent a specialist, with extensive experience documenting criminal activity in the city over many years, the criminal organization "works as a system" with local criminal leaders joining the organization and serving as "business partners".

The criminal group concentrates largely on drug trafficking, additionally trafficking firearms, precious metals, energy resources, liquor and tobacco.

Per law enforcement statements, organization members possess significant weaponry and police said that during the raid, they faced assaults using drone-delivered explosives.

The official of Rio state, the government representative, characterized Red Command members as drug terrorists and called the law enforcement personnel fatally injured in the action as "heroes".

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

At a news conference on Wednesday, the official supported law enforcement.

"It wasn't our intention to cause fatalities. We aimed to take suspects into custody without harm," he stated.

He added that the situation intensified due to the alleged criminals resisted aggressively: "It resulted of the resistance they implemented and the disproportionate use of force from the gang members."

The state leader further reported that the victims displayed by locals in the area had been "tampered with".

Via a statement on online platforms, he claimed that particular individuals had been taken of military-style attire he said they had been wearing "in order to shift blame onto the police".

Felipe Curi representing security forces additionally stated that tactical gear, vests, and arms" were stripped from the victims and presented video seemingly depicting a person removing tactical gear {off a corpse