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The eyewitness

A photographer who documented the results of a large-scale Brazilian police operation in the Brazilian city has described how community members brought back mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The bodies "continued arriving: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the photographer reported. The total contained those of police officers.

One of the bodies was found without a head - additional victims were "completely mutilated", he said. Many also had what appeared to be blade trauma.

In excess of 120 victims were fatally injured in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the most lethal operation in the city.

Bruno Itan reported that he was first alerted about the operation early on Tuesday by local people living in Alemão, who contacted him informing him gunfire had erupted.

The reporter went to a local medical facility, where the victims were arriving.

The eyewitness reported that law enforcement prevented journalists from entering the operation zone, where the security measures was under way.

"Security forces formed a line and said: 'Media representatives cannot proceed beyond this point'."

However, the photographer, who spent his childhood in the area, explained he succeeded to make his way into the restricted zone, where he remained until dawn.

He explained during the night, community members began to search the elevated terrain which divides the community of Penha and the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for family members whose whereabouts were unknown after the operation.

Community members living in Penha proceeded to place the recovered bodies in a public space - the documented evidence show the emotions of the people there.

"The harsh reality of what occurred impacted me deeply: the pain of loved ones, mothers fainting, pregnant wives, sobbing, outraged parents," the eyewitness remembered.

The eyewitness

The official of the state announced that the massive police operation involving around 2,500 officers was aimed at preventing a criminal group known as Comando Vermelho from increasing their control.

Originally, local officials stated that sixty alleged criminals plus four law enforcement personnel" had been killed in the operation.

Officials subsequently stated that their "preliminary" count indicates that 117 alleged criminals were fatally injured.

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

According to researchers, the gang stands as the sole illegal faction that recently has succeeded to expand its territory in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is generally regarded one of the two largest gangs in Brazil, in company with First Capital Command, featuring a timeline spanning over five decades.

Per correspondent an expert, with extensive experience documenting crime in Rio extensively, the gang "functions as a network" with neighborhood bosses affiliating with the group and serving as "operational allies".

The organization engages primarily in narcotics distribution, but also smuggles guns, valuable minerals, petroleum products, alcohol cigarettes.

According to the authorities, gang members have substantial firearms and officials reported that during the raid, they came under attack using drone-delivered explosives.

The official of the state, the government representative, labeled organization participants as criminal extremists and referred to the security forces killed in the raid as "heroes".

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

During a press briefing the next day, the state leader supported law enforcement.

"There was no objective to kill anyone. We wanted to take suspects into custody without harm," he stated.

He further explained that the situation worsened due to the alleged criminals had retaliated: "It was a consequence of the resistance they carried out and the disproportionate use of force by those criminals."

The state leader additionally stated that the casualties shown by residents in the area had been "manipulated".

Via a statement on social media, he asserted that certain victims had been stripped of the camouflage clothing he said they had been wearing "in order to shift blame toward law enforcement".

A law enforcement representative of Rio's civil police force additionally stated that military attire, protective equipment, and firearms" were stripped from the casualties and showed footage apparently demonstrating an individual stripping military attire {off a corpse