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The photographer

An eyewitness who documented the consequences of a large-scale Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has described how community members brought back mutilated bodies of those who had died.

The victims "continued arriving: the count kept increasing", Bruno Itan reported. They included security forces.

One of the bodies had been decapitated - while others appeared "totally disfigured", he explained. Several bodies showed evidence of knife injuries.

In excess of 120 victims lost their lives in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen.

The eyewitness explained that residents first notified him about the operation early on Tuesday by community members from the Alemão area, who sent him messages informing him there was a shoot-out.

The eyewitness went to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the casualties were being brought.

Itan explained that law enforcement stopped members of the press from going into the affected area, where the operation were occurring.

"Police officers formed a line and declared: 'Journalists doesn't get past here'."

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

He explained that evening, local residents began to search the hillside that separates the Penha neighborhood from the neighboring Alemão community for relatives who were unaccounted for since the police raid.

Local people from the Penha area organized the recovered bodies in a public space - the photographer's images show the reaction of those present.

"The harsh reality of it all impacted me deeply: the pain of the families, parents losing consciousness, expectant spouses, crying, outraged parents," the reporter recounted.

The eyewitness

The governor of the region announced that the extensive law enforcement effort deploying about 2,500 law enforcement members was designed to stopping an illegal organization known as Comando Vermelho from expanding its territory.

Initially, the Rio state government stated that "60 suspects plus four law enforcement personnel" lost their lives in the operation.

Officials subsequently stated that early calculations suggests that 117 alleged criminals lost their lives.

The public legal service, which provides legal assistance to disadvantaged individuals, has estimated the total number of casualties as 132.

According to researchers, Red Command stands as the sole illegal faction that recently has been able to make territorial gains in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is generally regarded among the biggest criminal organizations in the country, in company with another major gang, featuring a timeline extending half a century.

Per Brazilian journalist a specialist, with extensive experience documenting illegal operations in Rio for years, Red Command "functions as a network" with local criminal leaders affiliating with the group and serving as "operational allies".

The organization engages primarily in drug trafficking, while also dealing in firearms, valuable minerals, petroleum products, liquor smoking products.

According to the authorities, gang members possess significant weaponry and officials reported that throughout the operation, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The governor of Rio state, the political leader, characterized Red Command members as drug terrorists and referred to the law enforcement personnel killed in the raid as "heroes".

But the number of people killed in the operation has come in for criticism with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressing they felt "appalled".

During a press briefing the following day, the official defended the police force.

"It wasn't our intention to kill anyone. We aimed to detain everyone safely," he stated.

He added that the events had escalated due to the alleged criminals resisted aggressively: "It was a consequence of the retaliation they implemented and the disproportionate use of force from the gang members."

The governor further reported that the victims shown by residents in the area had been "manipulated".

Via a statement through digital channels, he asserted that certain victims had been removed of tactical gear he said they had been wearing "to redirect responsibility onto the police".

A police official of Rio's civil police force also said that tactical gear, protective equipment, and weapons" had been removed from the victims and displayed evidence appearing to show an individual cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse