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The eyewitness

An eyewitness who witnessed the aftermath of a large-scale Brazilian police operation in the Brazilian city has recounted how residents returned with mutilated bodies of those who had died.

The bodies "continued arriving: the count kept increasing", Bruno Itan described. They included law enforcement personnel.

One of the bodies was discovered headless - while others appeared "severely damaged", he reported. Many also had what he described as knife injuries.

Over 120 individuals were killed during the security action on a criminal gang - the most lethal operation in the city.

Bruno Itan explained that he was first alerted about the operation Tuesday morning by community members from the Alemão area, who reached out telling him there was a shoot-out.

The photographer went to a local medical facility, where the casualties were being brought.

The eyewitness reported that law enforcement stopped members of the press from entering the affected area, where the operation was under way.

"Police officers formed a line and announced: 'Journalists are not allowed to pass'."

However, the photographer, who spent his childhood in the community, stated he was able to gain access into the restricted zone, where he stayed until the next morning.

He described during the night, local residents started looking the elevated terrain which divides Penha from the neighboring Alemão community for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown following the security action.

Residents living in Penha arranged the discovered victims in an open area - and Itan's photos display the reaction of the gathered crowd.

"The harsh reality of what occurred shook me profoundly: the grief of the families, mothers fainting, expectant spouses, crying, furious relatives," the photographer recalled.

The photographer

The governor of Rio state announced that the extensive law enforcement effort deploying about 2,500 security personnel was aimed at halting a gang referred to as the criminal faction from growing their influence.

Initially, local officials stated that "60 suspects along with four officers" were fatally injured in the raid.

They have since said that early calculations suggests that 117 individuals lost their lives.

The legal assistance organization, which provides legal assistance to disadvantaged individuals, has put the final tally of people killed as 132.

According to researchers, Red Command represents the unique criminal entity that recently has managed to make territorial gains throughout Rio state.

Experts commonly view as a major illegal faction nationally, together with another major gang, with a background dating back more than 50 years.

According to Brazilian journalist an expert, who has been covering illegal operations in Rio for years, the criminal organization "works as a system" with local criminal leaders joining the organization and becoming "business partners".

The organization engages primarily in illegal drug trade, while also dealing in firearms, precious metals, petroleum products, alcohol cigarettes.

According to the authorities, organization members are well armed and authorities stated that throughout the operation, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The official of the state, Cláudio Castro, characterized organization participants as drug terrorists and referred to the security forces killed in the raid as "heroes".

But the number of people killed during the raid has received condemnation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressing they felt "horrified".

At a news conference the next day, Governor Castro justified security actions.

"We did not plan to cause fatalities. We aimed to arrest them all alive," he said.

He continued that the situation intensified due to the alleged criminals resisted aggressively: "It was a consequence of the counterattack they executed and the disproportionate use of force by the illegal group."

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

Via a statement on online platforms, he asserted that particular individuals had been removed of military-style attire that he stated they possessed "to redirect responsibility to security forces".

A police official from the police department further reported that military attire, protective equipment, and firearms" were taken away from the bodies and showed footage apparently demonstrating a man removing tactical gear {off a corpse