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The eyewitness

An eyewitness who documented the results of a large-scale security raid in Rio de Janeiro has described how residents came back with disfigured remains of the deceased individuals.

The bodies "continued arriving: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the photographer described. They included law enforcement personnel.

A particular victim was found without a head - while others appeared "severely damaged", he said. Numerous victims displayed what he described as blade trauma.

In excess of 120 victims were fatally injured during Tuesday's raid against a criminal group - the deadliest such raid Rio has experienced.

The photographer stated that he initially learned concerning the action early on Tuesday by residents living in Alemão, who reached out informing him gunfire had erupted.

The reporter made his way to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the victims were being brought.

Itan explained that the police blocked media personnel from going into the operation zone, where the police action were occurring.

"Security forces established a perimeter and announced: 'The press cannot proceed beyond this point'."

But Itan, who was raised in the community, stated he managed to enter into the cordoned-off area, where he continued until dawn.

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

Community members from the Penha area arranged the discovered victims in a square - the photographer's images display the reaction of those present.

"The brutality of the situation impacted me deeply: the pain of the families, mothers fainting, women carrying children, weeping, angry family members," the photographer recalled.

Bruno Itan

The official of the state stated that the extensive law enforcement effort involving around 2,500 security personnel was aimed at preventing an illegal organization called Comando Vermelho from increasing their control.

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

They have since said that early calculations shows that 117 individuals were fatally injured.

Rio's public defender's office, which provides legal assistance to the poor, has estimated the final tally of casualties to be 132.

According to researchers, Red Command stands as the sole illegal faction that recently has succeeded to increase its control throughout Rio state.

Experts commonly view among the biggest criminal organizations in the country, together with First Capital Command, with a background spanning over five decades.

According to reporter a specialist, who has long reported on criminal activity in the city for years, the gang "operates like a franchise" with local criminal leaders joining the organization and acting as "commercial associates".

The organization focuses mainly on drug trafficking, additionally trafficking firearms, gold, fuel, alcohol and tobacco.

Per law enforcement statements, organization members have substantial firearms and officials reported that during the raid, they faced assaults via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The governor of Rio state, Cláudio Castro, labeled organization participants as "narcoterrorists" and described the law enforcement personnel killed in the raid as "heroes".

Nevertheless, the total of people killed during the raid has received condemnation from UN human rights officials saying it was "horrified".

In a media appearance on Wednesday, Governor Castro supported law enforcement.

"It wasn't our intention to kill anyone. We aimed to detain everyone safely," he stated.

He added that the situation intensified as the individuals fought back: "It was a consequence of the retaliation they implemented and the excessive violence from the gang members."

The state leader also said that the bodies presented by community members in Penha had been "manipulated".

Via a statement on online platforms, he said that certain victims had been stripped of the camouflage clothing which he claimed they wore "in order to shift blame onto the police".

Felipe Curi of Rio's civil police force additionally stated that military attire, body armor, and firearms" had been removed from the victims and showed footage seemingly depicting a person removing tactical gear {off a corpse