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The eyewitness

An eyewitness who documented the consequences of a large-scale law enforcement action in the Brazilian city has reported how community members returned with disfigured remains of people who lost their lives.

The bodies "kept coming: the numbers kept rising", the photographer stated. Among them were law enforcement personnel.

One individual had been decapitated - others were "totally disfigured", he reported. Many also had evidence of knife injuries.

Over 120 individuals were fatally injured during the security action on a criminal gang - the bloodiest action Rio has experienced.

The eyewitness explained that he was first alerted about the operation in the early hours by community members from the Alemão area, who contacted him telling him gunfire had erupted.

The reporter traveled to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the bodies were being brought.

The photographer stated that the police blocked media personnel from accessing the affected area, where the operation were occurring.

"Police officers established a perimeter and declared: 'Journalists are not allowed to pass'."

But Itan, who was raised in the community, reported he managed to make his way past the security perimeter, where he remained until dawn.

He reported that evening, community members began to search the mountainous area that borders the Penha neighborhood from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for family members who had been missing after the operation.

Local people of the Penha neighbourhood organized the discovered victims in a square - the photographer's images display the reaction of the gathered crowd.

"The brutality of what occurred shook me deeply: the pain of relatives, parents losing consciousness, women carrying children, weeping, outraged parents," the reporter recounted.

Bruno Itan

The state leader of the state declared that the extensive law enforcement effort with approximately 2,500 law enforcement members was intended to stopping an illegal organization referred to as Comando Vermelho from expanding its territory.

Originally, state authorities maintained that sixty individuals and four police officers" had been killed in the operation.

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

The legal assistance organization, that gives legal support to disadvantaged individuals, has put the overall count of people killed as 132.

Based on expert analysis, the gang is the only criminal group which in recent years has been able to increase its control across the region.

Experts commonly view one of the two largest gangs in the country, together with a rival criminal group, with a background extending half a century.

Based on reporter a specialist, with extensive experience documenting crime in Rio over many years, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with neighborhood bosses forming part of the gang and acting as "business partners".

The gang engages primarily in drug trafficking, while also dealing in weapons, gold, energy resources, beverages cigarettes.

Per law enforcement statements, organization members are well armed and authorities stated that during the raid, they encountered resistance via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The official of the state, the political leader, characterized organization participants as "narcoterrorists" and referred to the law enforcement personnel fatally injured in the action as brave public servants.

Nevertheless, the total of casualties during the raid has received condemnation from international human rights authorities stating they were "shocked".

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

"It wasn't our intention to kill anyone. We wanted to take suspects into custody without harm," he declared.

He continued that the circumstances intensified as the individuals resisted aggressively: "It resulted of the resistance they carried out and the excessive violence by those criminals."

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

Through a message on social media, he said that particular individuals had been removed of the camouflage clothing that he stated they possessed "to transfer accusation to security forces".

Felipe Curi from the police department additionally stated that tactical gear, body armor, and arms" had been removed from the casualties and displayed evidence apparently demonstrating a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse