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The photographer

A photographer who witnessed the consequences of an extensive Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has recounted how residents returned with badly injured victims of the deceased individuals.

The bodies "continued arriving: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the photographer reported. Among them were security forces.

A particular victim was discovered headless - others were "severely damaged", he reported. Numerous victims displayed evidence of knife injuries.

In excess of 120 victims were killed in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the deadliest such raid the municipality has seen.

Bruno Itan stated that he initially learned to the raid early on Tuesday by residents from the Alemão area, who sent him messages alerting him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The photographer made his way to the healthcare center, where the bodies were coming in.

The eyewitness reported that law enforcement stopped members of the press from entering the Penha neighborhood, where the operation were occurring.

"Police officers created a barrier and said: 'The press cannot proceed beyond this point'."

However, the photographer, who was raised in the area, stated he was able to make his way into the cordoned-off area, where he stayed until dawn.

He explained that Tuesday night, community members began to search the elevated terrain which divides Penha from the adjacent Alemão area for family members who were unaccounted for after the operation.

Community members from the Penha area proceeded to place the discovered victims in an open area - the photographer's images display the emotions of those present.

"The harsh reality of what occurred affected me deeply: the grief of loved ones, parents losing consciousness, women carrying children, weeping, angry family members," the eyewitness remembered.

The eyewitness

The official of the state stated that the extensive law enforcement effort involving around 2,500 law enforcement members was intended to halting a gang referred to as Comando Vermelho from expanding its territory.

At first, state authorities claimed that sixty individuals plus four law enforcement personnel" had been killed during the action.

Officials subsequently stated that their "preliminary" count suggests that 117 individuals lost their lives.

The public legal service, that offers legal help to disadvantaged individuals, has calculated the total number of fatalities to be 132.

Based on expert analysis, the gang represents the unique criminal entity which in recent years has succeeded to expand its territory throughout Rio state.

Experts commonly view one of the two largest gangs in Brazil, together with a rival criminal group, with a background spanning over five decades.

Based on correspondent a specialist, who has long reported on illegal operations in Rio extensively, the gang "operates like a franchise" with neighborhood bosses joining the organization and acting as "operational allies".

The gang focuses mainly on drug trafficking, while also dealing in weapons, valuable minerals, energy resources, liquor smoking products.

Based on official reports, organization members are well armed and police said that during the raid, they came under attack using drone-delivered explosives.

The governor of Rio state, the government representative, labeled Red Command members as "narcoterrorists" and described the law enforcement personnel fatally injured in the action as courageous individuals.

However, the count of casualties during the raid has faced scrutiny from international human rights authorities stating they were "appalled".

During a press briefing the following day, the official justified security actions.

"There was no objective to kill anyone. We wanted to arrest them all alive," he declared.

He further explained that the events had escalated as the individuals fought back: "It was a consequence of the resistance they executed and the excessive violence by the illegal group."

The state leader also said that the casualties shown by residents in the neighborhood had been "tampered with".

In a post on social media, he claimed that certain victims had been stripped of military-style attire he said they had been wearing "in order to shift blame to security forces".

Felipe Curi of Rio's civil police force additionally stated that tactical gear, vests, and arms" were stripped from the victims and showed footage seemingly depicting a person cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse