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The eyewitness

A reporter who witnessed the aftermath of a massive law enforcement action in Rio de Janeiro has reported how residents came back with badly injured victims of the deceased individuals.

The victims "kept piling up: the numbers kept rising", the eyewitness described. They included those of police officers.

One of the bodies had been decapitated - additional victims were "totally disfigured", he said. Numerous victims displayed what he described as stab wounds.

More than 120 people were killed during Tuesday's raid against a criminal group - the bloodiest action Rio has experienced.

The photographer reported that he initially learned about the operation early on Tuesday by residents of the Alemão neighbourhood, who reached out alerting him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The reporter went to the healthcare center, where the bodies were coming in.

Itan explained that security forces stopped members of the press from entering the operation zone, where the operation were taking place.

"Law enforcement personnel formed a line and declared: 'Media representatives cannot proceed beyond this point'."

However, the photographer, who spent his childhood in the community, stated he succeeded to make his way into the cordoned-off area, where he stayed until the next morning.

He described during the night, local residents began to search the mountainous area that borders Penha from the adjacent Alemão area for relatives who were unaccounted for following the security action.

Community members of the Penha neighbourhood arranged the recovered bodies in an open area - and Itan's photos show the reaction of the gathered crowd.

"The brutality of what occurred shook me a lot: the sorrow of loved ones, mothers fainting, expectant spouses, weeping, furious relatives," the reporter recounted.

The eyewitness

The official of Rio state stated that the large-scale security action involving around 2,500 officers was designed to preventing a criminal group known as Red Command from increasing their control.

At first, the Rio state government claimed that sixty individuals plus four law enforcement personnel" lost their lives during the action.

Officials subsequently stated that their "preliminary" count indicates that 117 alleged criminals lost their lives.

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

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization is the only criminal group that in the past few years has managed to expand its territory across the region.

Experts commonly view as a major illegal faction in Brazil, in company with a rival criminal group, and has a history spanning over five decades.

Per correspondent an expert, with extensive experience documenting illegal operations in Rio for years, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with neighborhood bosses affiliating with the group and becoming "commercial associates".

The criminal group focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, but also smuggles guns, valuable minerals, fuel, liquor and tobacco.

Based on official reports, organization members have substantial firearms and authorities stated that while the action was underway, they faced assaults using drone-delivered explosives.

The state leader of the state, the government representative, characterized Red Command members as "narcoterrorists" and called the four police officers who died during the operation as courageous individuals.

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

During a press briefing the following day, the official supported law enforcement.

"We did not plan to result in deaths. We wanted to take suspects into custody without harm," he said.

He added that the situation had escalated as the individuals fought back: "It resulted of the retaliation they implemented and the overwhelming response from the gang members."

The state leader further reported that the bodies presented by community members in the area had been "manipulated".

Via a statement through digital channels, he said that certain victims had been taken of military-style attire he said they had been wearing "to transfer accusation to security forces".

A law enforcement representative from the police department further reported that "camouflage clothing, body armor, and firearms" were stripped from the victims and showed footage appearing to show a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse