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The eyewitness

An eyewitness who observed the consequences of an extensive security raid in the metropolitan area has recounted how local people came back with badly injured victims of the deceased individuals.

The casualties "kept coming: the numbers kept rising", Bruno Itan described. They included those of police officers.

One of the bodies had been decapitated - while others appeared "completely mutilated", he reported. Many also had evidence of stab wounds.

In excess of 120 victims were fatally injured during the security action targeting an illegal organization - the deadliest such raid the municipality has seen.

Bruno Itan reported that he was first alerted about the operation Tuesday morning by community members living in Alemão, who contacted him alerting him gunfire had erupted.

The photographer traveled to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the victims were coming in.

The photographer stated that the police prevented journalists from accessing the operation zone, where the police action were taking place.

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

But Itan, who was raised in the area, stated he managed to make his way into the restricted zone, where he continued through the night.

He explained during the night, community members commenced searching the elevated terrain that borders the Penha neighborhood from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for loved ones whose whereabouts were unknown after the operation.

Community members from the Penha area proceeded to place the discovered victims in a public space - and Itan's photos show the emotions of those present.

"The violence of it all shook me profoundly: the pain of the families, parents losing consciousness, women carrying children, weeping, outraged parents," the reporter recounted.

The photographer

The state leader of the state announced that the massive police operation involving around 2,500 officers was designed to stopping a gang referred to as Red Command from growing their influence.

Initially, the Rio state government claimed that sixty alleged criminals plus four law enforcement personnel" were fatally injured in the operation.

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

The legal assistance organization, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has estimated the overall count of casualties as 132.

According to researchers, Red Command is the only criminal group which in recent years has been able to expand its territory across the region.

It is widely considered one of the two largest gangs nationally, together with another major gang, and has a history spanning over five decades.

Per Brazilian journalist an expert, who has long reported on illegal operations in Rio extensively, the criminal organization "functions as a network" with local criminal leaders affiliating with the group and acting as "operational allies".

The gang concentrates largely on drug trafficking, while also dealing in guns, valuable minerals, fuel, alcohol cigarettes.

According to the authorities, criminal affiliates are well armed and police said that throughout the operation, they encountered resistance from explosive-laden drones.

The state leader of the region, the political leader, described organization participants as criminal extremists and described the four police officers who died during the operation as courageous individuals.

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

In a media appearance on Wednesday, the state leader defended the police force.

"There was no objective to kill anyone. We aimed to detain everyone safely," he said.

He added that the circumstances had escalated as the individuals fought back: "It was a consequence of the counterattack they implemented and the disproportionate use of force by those criminals."

The state leader additionally stated that the victims presented by community members in the neighborhood had been "manipulated".

Via a statement on social media, he claimed that certain victims had been taken of the camouflage clothing he said they had been wearing "to redirect responsibility to security forces".

Felipe Curi from the police department additionally stated that "camouflage clothing, body armor, and firearms" had been removed from the casualties and displayed evidence seemingly depicting a person removing tactical gear {off a corpse