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Bruno Itan

An eyewitness who witnessed the results of a massive Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has described how community members brought back mutilated bodies of people who lost their lives.

The victims "kept coming: the count kept increasing", Bruno Itan described. Among them were security forces.

One of the bodies had been decapitated - while others appeared "severely damaged", he said. Numerous victims displayed evidence of knife injuries.

More than 120 people were fatally injured during Tuesday's raid targeting an illegal organization - the deadliest such raid the municipality has seen.

The eyewitness stated that he was first alerted about the operation Tuesday morning by local people of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages telling him there was a shoot-out.

The photographer traveled to a local medical facility, where the victims were coming in.

The photographer stated that security forces prevented journalists from accessing the affected area, where the police action were taking place.

"Law enforcement personnel established a perimeter and announced: 'Media representatives doesn't get past here'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who grew up in the area, stated he managed to make his way into the cordoned-off area, where he continued until the next morning.

He explained that Tuesday night, area inhabitants commenced searching the mountainous area that borders Penha from the adjacent Alemão area for relatives who had been missing following the security action.

Community members living in Penha proceeded to place the recovered bodies in a public space - the photographer's images show the reaction of the gathered crowd.

"The violence of the situation affected me a lot: the pain of the families, mothers fainting, pregnant wives, weeping, angry family members," the eyewitness remembered.

The photographer

The governor of the region stated that the extensive law enforcement effort with approximately 2,500 officers was aimed at preventing a criminal group called Red Command from increasing their control.

Originally, local officials stated that "60 suspects plus four law enforcement personnel" had been killed in the raid.

Authorities later reported that their "preliminary" count indicates that 117 individuals lost their lives.

The legal assistance organization, which provides legal assistance to low-income residents, has estimated the final tally of casualties as 132.

According to researchers, the gang stands as the sole illegal faction that recently has managed to make territorial gains in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Experts commonly view as a major illegal faction in the country, together with First Capital Command, with a background extending half a century.

According to correspondent a specialist, who has long reported on crime in Rio extensively, the criminal organization "works as a system" with local criminal leaders joining the organization and serving as "business partners".

The organization focuses mainly on drug trafficking, while also dealing in weapons, valuable minerals, energy resources, beverages cigarettes.

According to the authorities, gang members have substantial firearms and authorities stated that while the action was underway, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The official of the state, the government representative, labeled organization participants as criminal extremists and referred to the security forces who died during the operation as brave public servants.

Nevertheless, the total of casualties in the operation has received condemnation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights saying it was "shocked".

During a press briefing on Wednesday, the official supported law enforcement.

"We did not plan to result in deaths. We aimed to detain everyone safely," he declared.

He continued that the circumstances worsened as the individuals fought back: "It resulted of the counterattack they implemented and the overwhelming response by those criminals."

The official also said that the bodies displayed by locals in the area were "altered".

In a post through digital channels, he said that some of them had been taken of the camouflage clothing which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation onto the police".

A law enforcement representative from the police department also said that tactical gear, vests, and firearms" were stripped from the victims and showed footage appearing to show a person cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse