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Bruno Itan

An eyewitness who documented the aftermath of a massive law enforcement action in the Brazilian city has reported how residents returned with badly injured victims of those who had died.

The casualties "continued arriving: the count kept increasing", the eyewitness reported. Among them were those of police officers.

One of the bodies was discovered headless - additional victims were "severely damaged", he explained. Many also had what appeared to be knife injuries.

In excess of 120 victims lost their lives during the security action against a criminal group - the most lethal operation in the city.

The photographer stated that he was first alerted concerning the action Tuesday morning by residents living in Alemão, who contacted him telling him there was a shoot-out.

The eyewitness traveled to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the bodies were being brought.

Itan explained that security forces prevented journalists from entering the affected area, where the police action were occurring.

"Police officers created a barrier and declared: 'Media representatives are not allowed to pass'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who was raised in that neighborhood, reported he succeeded to gain access into the cordoned-off area, where he stayed until dawn.

He explained that Tuesday night, local residents started looking the mountainous area which divides the Penha neighborhood from the adjacent Alemão area for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown since the police raid.

Residents from the Penha area proceeded to place the located casualties in a public space - the documented evidence display the response of the gathered crowd.

"The brutality of it all affected me deeply: the pain of loved ones, parents losing consciousness, expectant spouses, sobbing, angry family members," the photographer recalled.

The photographer

The official of the state announced that the large-scale security action with approximately 2,500 officers was aimed at stopping a criminal group referred to as the criminal faction from expanding its territory.

At first, the Rio state government stated that sixty individuals and four police officers" were fatally injured in the raid.

Officials subsequently stated that their "preliminary" count shows that 117 individuals were fatally injured.

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

Based on expert analysis, Red Command stands as the sole illegal faction which in recent years has been able to make territorial gains throughout Rio state.

It is widely considered among the biggest criminal organizations in Brazil, in company with another major gang, featuring a timeline extending half a century.

Based on reporter an expert, with extensive experience documenting criminal activity in the city extensively, the gang "operates like a franchise" with neighborhood bosses forming part of the gang and becoming "operational allies".

The criminal group engages primarily in illegal drug trade, but also smuggles firearms, gold, fuel, beverages and tobacco.

According to the authorities, gang members are well armed and authorities stated that during the raid, they faced assaults from explosive-laden drones.

The governor of the region, the government representative, characterized Red Command members as "narcoterrorists" and described the security forces who died during the operation as brave public servants.

But the number of fatalities during the raid has received condemnation from international human rights authorities expressing they felt "shocked".

At a news conference on Wednesday, the official defended the police force.

"It wasn't our intention to result in deaths. We aimed to detain everyone safely," he declared.

He added that the events had escalated due to the alleged criminals had retaliated: "It occurred of the retaliation they carried out and the overwhelming response by the illegal group."

The governor additionally stated that the casualties presented by community members in the area were "altered".

Through a message through digital channels, he asserted that some of them had been removed of military-style attire which he claimed they wore "to redirect responsibility to security forces".

A police official representing security forces also said that military attire, body armor, and arms" had been removed from the bodies and displayed evidence apparently demonstrating a person cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse