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The eyewitness

A reporter who documented the results of a large-scale security raid in the metropolitan area has recounted how residents returned with disfigured remains of the deceased individuals.

The bodies "kept coming: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the eyewitness described. The total contained those of police officers.

One individual was discovered headless - others were "severely damaged", he explained. Numerous victims displayed evidence of blade trauma.

More than 120 people were killed in the Tuesday operation against a criminal group - the bloodiest action in the city.

The eyewitness reported that he initially learned to the raid in the early hours by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages alerting him gunfire had erupted.

The photographer made his way to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the casualties were arriving.

The eyewitness reported that the police blocked media personnel from accessing the affected area, where the security measures were occurring.

"Law enforcement personnel created a barrier and said: 'Media representatives cannot proceed beyond this point'."

But Itan, who spent his childhood in the community, stated he was able to enter past the security perimeter, where he stayed until the next morning.

He described that evening, area inhabitants began to search the hillside which divides Penha from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for family members who had been missing after the operation.

Residents from the Penha area proceeded to place the discovered victims in a square - the photographer's images show the response of the gathered crowd.

"The violence of the situation affected me a lot: the grief of the families, mothers fainting, expectant spouses, crying, angry family members," the reporter recounted.

The eyewitness

The official of Rio state announced that the extensive law enforcement effort with approximately 2,500 security personnel was designed to preventing a criminal group referred to as the criminal faction from expanding its territory.

Originally, state authorities stated that sixty alleged criminals and four police officers" were fatally injured during the action.

Officials subsequently stated that early calculations shows that 117 "suspects" were fatally injured.

The legal assistance organization, that gives legal support to the poor, has calculated the final tally of casualties at 132.

Based on expert analysis, the criminal organization represents the unique criminal entity which in recent years has managed to increase its control in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Experts commonly view among the biggest criminal organizations nationally, together with a rival criminal group, with a background dating back more than 50 years.

According to correspondent a specialist, who has long reported on crime in Rio over many years, Red Command "operates like a franchise" with area gang leaders joining the organization and becoming "operational allies".

The organization engages primarily in drug trafficking, but also smuggles weapons, valuable minerals, energy resources, alcohol cigarettes.

Based on official reports, organization members are well armed and officials reported that while the action was underway, they came under attack via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The state leader of Rio state, the political leader, labeled Red Command members as "narcoterrorists" and described the security forces killed in the raid as "heroes".

Nevertheless, the total of fatalities in the operation has received condemnation from international human rights authorities saying it was "appalled".

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

"It wasn't our intention to result in deaths. We wanted to take suspects into custody without harm," he said.

He continued that the situation had escalated because the suspects had retaliated: "It resulted of the retaliation they implemented and the overwhelming response by those criminals."

The governor also said that the casualties presented by community members in Penha had been "tampered with".

In a post on online platforms, he asserted that certain victims had been removed of the camouflage clothing he said they had been wearing "to transfer accusation onto the police".

A police official of Rio's civil police force also said that tactical gear, protective equipment, and arms" had been removed from the bodies and displayed evidence seemingly depicting an individual stripping military attire {off a corpse