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The photographer

A photographer who observed the consequences of a large-scale law enforcement action in Rio de Janeiro has recounted how local people returned with mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The victims "continued arriving: the numbers kept rising", the photographer described. Among them were law enforcement personnel.

One of the bodies was found without a head - others were "completely mutilated", he said. Numerous victims displayed what he described as knife injuries.

Over 120 individuals lost their lives in the Tuesday operation against a criminal group - the most lethal operation the municipality has seen.

The photographer explained that residents first notified him to the raid early on Tuesday by residents of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages alerting him there was a shoot-out.

The eyewitness went to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the casualties were being brought.

Itan explained that law enforcement blocked media personnel from going into the affected area, where the security measures was under way.

"Police officers established a perimeter and said: 'Journalists are not allowed to pass'."

But Itan, who spent his childhood in the community, reported he succeeded to enter into the cordoned-off area, where he stayed through the night.

He described that Tuesday night, community members began to search the mountainous area which divides the Penha neighborhood from the adjacent Alemão area for loved ones who were unaccounted for since the police raid.

Community members from the Penha area arranged the located casualties in a public space - the photographer's images display the response of the people there.

"The brutality of the situation impacted me profoundly: the grief of loved ones, mothers fainting, women carrying children, sobbing, angry family members," the photographer recalled.

Bruno Itan

The governor of Rio state announced that the massive police operation involving around 2,500 law enforcement members was intended to halting an illegal organization known as the criminal faction from growing their influence.

At first, local officials maintained that sixty alleged criminals along with four officers" lost their lives in the operation.

They have since said that initial estimates suggests that 117 individuals have been killed.

The legal assistance organization, that offers legal help to the poor, has put the total number of people killed at 132.

Based on expert analysis, the gang stands as the sole illegal faction which in recent years has been able to expand its territory in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is generally regarded one of the two largest gangs in the country, together with a rival criminal group, with a background dating back more than 50 years.

According to Brazilian journalist Rafael Soares, with extensive experience documenting crime in Rio over many years, Red Command "works as a system" with local criminal leaders affiliating with the group and acting as "commercial associates".

The organization focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, while also dealing in guns, precious metals, petroleum products, alcohol smoking products.

Per law enforcement statements, gang members possess significant weaponry and authorities stated that during the raid, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The official of the state, the political leader, characterized organization participants as criminal extremists and called the four police officers killed in the raid as brave public servants.

However, the count of fatalities in the security action has received condemnation from international human rights authorities stating they were "horrified".

At a news conference the next day, Governor Castro defended the police force.

"We did not plan to cause fatalities. We intended to take suspects into custody without harm," he said.

He further explained that the events intensified as the individuals resisted aggressively: "It occurred of the counterattack they implemented and the overwhelming response from the gang members."

The governor also said that the bodies shown by residents in the area had been "manipulated".

In a post on online platforms, he claimed that some of them had been taken of the camouflage clothing that he stated they possessed "to redirect responsibility onto the police".

Felipe Curi of Rio's civil police force additionally stated that "camouflage clothing, protective equipment, and arms" had been removed from the bodies and displayed evidence seemingly depicting a person cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse