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The eyewitness

An eyewitness who witnessed the results of a large-scale security raid in Rio de Janeiro has reported how local people brought back mutilated bodies of people who lost their lives.

The casualties "kept coming: the numbers kept rising", the eyewitness described. They included security forces.

One individual was discovered headless - others were "completely mutilated", he reported. Numerous victims displayed what he described as knife injuries.

In excess of 120 victims were fatally injured in the Tuesday operation against a criminal group - the most lethal operation in the city.

The photographer explained that residents first notified him concerning the action Tuesday morning by local people living in Alemão, who sent him messages telling him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The photographer went to a local medical facility, where the casualties were arriving.

The photographer stated that law enforcement blocked media personnel from entering the Penha neighborhood, where the police action were taking place.

"Police officers established a perimeter and said: 'Media representatives doesn't get past here'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who was raised in the community, explained he managed to gain access into the restricted zone, where he continued until dawn.

He described that evening, local residents commenced searching the hillside which divides Penha from the neighboring Alemão community for loved ones whose whereabouts were unknown since the police raid.

Community members living in Penha arranged the recovered bodies in a public space - the photographer's images display the reaction of the gathered crowd.

"The violence of what occurred affected me profoundly: the pain of the families, women collapsing, pregnant wives, sobbing, angry family members," the photographer recalled.

Bruno Itan

The governor of the region announced that the large-scale security action with approximately 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at stopping a gang called the criminal faction from increasing their control.

Initially, state authorities maintained that sixty individuals and four police officers" lost their lives in the raid.

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

The public legal service, that offers legal help to disadvantaged individuals, has calculated the overall count of people killed to be 132.

Based on expert analysis, Red Command is the only criminal group that recently has succeeded to expand its territory across the region.

It is generally regarded one of the two largest gangs nationally, together with another major gang, with a background extending half a century.

According to Brazilian journalist Rafael Soares, who has long reported on criminal activity in the city extensively, Red Command "functions as a network" with neighborhood bosses joining the organization and becoming "operational allies".

The organization focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, but also smuggles weapons, precious metals, fuel, beverages cigarettes.

Based on official reports, organization members have substantial firearms and police said that during the raid, they faced assaults from explosive-laden drones.

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

But the number of casualties during the raid has come in for criticism with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressing they felt "shocked".

In a media appearance the following day, the state leader justified security actions.

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

He further explained that the circumstances intensified because the suspects had retaliated: "It occurred of the resistance they executed and the disproportionate use of force by the illegal group."

The governor additionally stated that the casualties displayed by locals in the area had been "tampered with".

In a post through digital channels, he claimed that some of them had been removed of the camouflage clothing which he claimed they wore "in order to shift blame to security forces".

A police official from the police department further reported that tactical gear, vests, and firearms" were stripped from the victims and showed footage apparently demonstrating a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse