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The eyewitness

A photographer who witnessed the aftermath of a large-scale Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has recounted how residents came back with mutilated bodies of people who lost their lives.

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

One of the bodies was found without a head - additional victims were "totally disfigured", he reported. Many also had what appeared to be stab wounds.

In excess of 120 victims lost their lives during the security action on a criminal gang - the deadliest such raid in the city.

The eyewitness stated that he initially learned to the raid in the early hours by residents of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages informing him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The reporter made his way to a local medical facility, where the casualties were arriving.

The eyewitness reported that the police prevented journalists from accessing the Penha neighborhood, where the operation were taking place.

"Police officers formed a line and announced: 'Journalists are not allowed to pass'."

But Itan, who grew up in the area, explained he succeeded to gain access into the restricted zone, where he stayed until dawn.

He described that evening, local residents started looking the hillside which divides the Penha neighborhood from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for family members whose whereabouts were unknown after the operation.

Local people from the Penha area proceeded to place the discovered victims in a public space - and Itan's photos show the emotions of the gathered crowd.

"The brutality of what occurred affected me a lot: the grief of loved ones, parents losing consciousness, pregnant wives, crying, angry family members," the eyewitness remembered.

The photographer

The governor of the region stated that the large-scale security action involving around 2,500 law enforcement members was designed to stopping an illegal organization referred to as Comando Vermelho from growing their influence.

Originally, local officials claimed that "60 suspects and four police officers" had been killed during the action.

Authorities later reported that initial estimates suggests that 117 alleged criminals have been killed.

Rio's public defender's office, that offers legal help to low-income residents, has estimated the final tally of casualties as 132.

Per investigative findings, Red Command is the only criminal group that in the past few years has been able to make territorial gains across the region.

It is widely considered as a major illegal faction in Brazil, alongside another major gang, and has a history dating back more than 50 years.

Based on Brazilian journalist Rafael Soares, who has long reported on illegal operations in Rio extensively, the gang "functions as a network" with local criminal leaders joining the organization and acting as "operational allies".

The criminal group concentrates largely on narcotics distribution, but also smuggles guns, gold, petroleum products, liquor cigarettes.

Per law enforcement statements, organization members possess significant weaponry and authorities stated that throughout the operation, they faced assaults using drone-delivered explosives.

The governor of the state, the political leader, described organization participants as drug terrorists and called the law enforcement personnel who died during the operation as "heroes".

However, the count of people killed during the raid has come in for criticism with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights saying it was "shocked".

At a news conference the following day, Governor Castro supported law enforcement.

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

He continued that the circumstances intensified as the individuals fought back: "It occurred of the retaliation they implemented and the disproportionate use of force by those criminals."

The state leader also said that the victims shown by residents in the area were "altered".

In a post through digital channels, he said that some of them had been taken of tactical gear he said they had been wearing "to transfer accusation to security forces".

A police official from the police department additionally stated that "camouflage clothing, vests, and arms" were taken away from the victims and displayed evidence seemingly depicting a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse