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The photographer

A photographer who witnessed the aftermath of an extensive security raid in the metropolitan area has recounted how local people came back with mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The victims "kept piling up: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", Bruno Itan stated. Among them were security forces.

A particular victim was discovered headless - additional victims were "totally disfigured", he reported. Numerous victims displayed what appeared to be stab wounds.

Over 120 individuals lost their lives in the Tuesday operation on a criminal gang - the bloodiest action in the city.

The eyewitness explained that he initially learned to the raid in the early hours by local people from the Alemão area, who reached out informing him there was a shoot-out.

The reporter traveled to the healthcare center, where the casualties were coming in.

The eyewitness reported that security forces stopped members of the press from accessing the affected area, where the operation were taking place.

"Security forces formed a line and announced: 'The press are not allowed to pass'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who spent his childhood in the community, explained he succeeded to make his way past the security perimeter, where he remained until the next morning.

He explained that Tuesday night, community members started looking the elevated terrain which divides the community of Penha and the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for loved ones who were unaccounted for after the operation.

Residents from the Penha area proceeded to place the recovered bodies in a public space - the documented evidence reveal the reaction of the people there.

"The violence of it all affected me profoundly: the sorrow of relatives, mothers fainting, pregnant wives, weeping, furious relatives," the photographer recalled.

Bruno Itan

The official of Rio state stated that the extensive law enforcement effort involving around 2,500 security personnel was designed to stopping an illegal organization known as Red Command from growing their influence.

Originally, local officials claimed that "60 suspects along with four officers" had been killed during the action.

Authorities later reported that initial estimates indicates that 117 "suspects" have been killed.

The public legal service, that gives legal support to disadvantaged individuals, has estimated the overall count of casualties to be 132.

Per investigative findings, Red Command represents the unique criminal entity that recently has managed to make territorial gains across the region.

Experts commonly view one of the two largest gangs in Brazil, in company with a rival criminal group, and has a history spanning over five decades.

Per Brazilian journalist Rafael Soares, with extensive experience documenting crime in Rio over many years, the gang "operates like a franchise" with neighborhood bosses joining the organization and acting as "commercial associates".

The gang concentrates largely on illegal drug trade, but also smuggles firearms, precious metals, petroleum products, beverages cigarettes.

According to the authorities, criminal affiliates have substantial firearms and authorities stated that during the raid, they encountered resistance using drone-delivered explosives.

The governor of the region, the government representative, labeled gang affiliates as drug terrorists and referred to the law enforcement personnel killed in the raid as brave public servants.

But the number of casualties in the operation has come in for criticism with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights saying it was "shocked".

At a news conference the next day, the official defended the police force.

"We did not plan to cause fatalities. We intended to detain everyone safely," he stated.

He continued that the circumstances had escalated because the suspects resisted aggressively: "It was a consequence of the resistance they carried out and the overwhelming response by the illegal group."

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

Via a statement on social media, he said that certain victims had been stripped of the camouflage clothing which he claimed they wore "to redirect responsibility to security forces".

Felipe Curi from the police department further reported that military attire, vests, and weapons" were taken away from the victims and presented video apparently demonstrating a man removing tactical gear {off a corpse