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The photographer

A reporter who documented the results of a large-scale security raid in the Brazilian city has described how community members came back with disfigured remains of those who had died.

The casualties "kept piling up: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the eyewitness described. Among them were security forces.

A particular victim was discovered headless - additional victims were "severely damaged", he explained. Numerous victims displayed what appeared to be knife injuries.

More than 120 people lost their lives in the Tuesday operation on a criminal gang - the most lethal operation Rio has experienced.

Bruno Itan reported that he was first alerted concerning the action Tuesday morning by community members living in Alemão, who sent him messages informing him there was a shoot-out.

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

The eyewitness reported that security forces prevented journalists from going into the operation zone, where the police action were occurring.

"Law enforcement personnel established a perimeter and declared: 'Media representatives are not allowed to pass'."

But Itan, who spent his childhood in the community, reported he was able to enter into the restricted zone, where he continued through the night.

He explained that Tuesday night, local residents started looking the hillside that separates Penha from the adjacent Alemão area for family members who had been missing after the operation.

Residents of the Penha neighbourhood organized the recovered bodies in a public space - the photographer's images display the reaction of those present.

"The violence of what occurred impacted me profoundly: the grief of relatives, mothers fainting, pregnant wives, weeping, furious relatives," the photographer recalled.

The photographer

The governor of the state stated that the extensive law enforcement effort involving around 2,500 security personnel was intended to preventing an illegal organization referred to as Comando Vermelho from expanding its territory.

Initially, the Rio state government maintained that "60 suspects and four police officers" lost their lives in the raid.

Authorities later reported that initial estimates indicates that 117 individuals lost their lives.

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to the poor, has put the total number of fatalities to be 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization stands as the sole illegal faction that in the past few years has managed to make territorial gains across the region.

Experts commonly view one of the two largest gangs nationally, together with First Capital Command, with a background spanning over five decades.

Based on correspondent Rafael Soares, who has long reported on crime in Rio extensively, the criminal organization "works as a system" with local criminal leaders affiliating with the group and becoming "business partners".

The organization focuses mainly on drug trafficking, additionally trafficking firearms, gold, energy resources, liquor and tobacco.

Per law enforcement statements, organization members possess significant weaponry and authorities stated that throughout the operation, they faced assaults via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The official of the state, the government representative, described gang affiliates as criminal extremists and described the security forces killed in the raid as courageous individuals.

Nevertheless, the total of people killed in the operation has faced scrutiny from UN human rights officials expressing they felt "horrified".

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

"There was no objective to cause fatalities. We intended to detain everyone safely," he stated.

He continued that the circumstances had escalated as the individuals fought back: "It resulted of the resistance they carried out and the overwhelming response by those criminals."

The governor additionally stated that the victims shown by residents in Penha had been "manipulated".

In a post on online platforms, he said that certain victims had been removed of tactical gear which he claimed they wore "to redirect responsibility onto the police".

Felipe Curi of Rio's civil police force also said that tactical gear, protective equipment, and arms" were stripped from the bodies and presented video apparently demonstrating a man removing tactical gear {off a corpse