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The eyewitness

A reporter who witnessed the results of a large-scale Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has reported how community members brought back disfigured remains of the deceased individuals.

The victims "kept coming: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", Bruno Itan reported. They included those of police officers.

A particular victim was discovered headless - while others appeared "completely mutilated", he reported. Numerous victims displayed what he described as knife injuries.

More than 120 people lost their lives in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the deadliest such raid in the city.

The eyewitness stated that he initially learned to the raid in the early hours by residents of the Alemão neighbourhood, who contacted him alerting him there was a shoot-out.

The photographer traveled to the healthcare center, where the casualties were arriving.

The photographer stated that security forces prevented journalists from going into the affected area, where the operation were taking place.

"Security forces established a perimeter and announced: 'Journalists doesn't get past here'."

But Itan, who grew up in the area, stated he was able to make his way into the restricted zone, where he continued through the night.

He described during the night, local residents began to search the elevated terrain which divides the community of Penha and the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for family members who had been missing after the operation.

Local people from the Penha area arranged the discovered victims in a public space - and Itan's photos reveal the response of the people there.

"The brutality of it all affected me a lot: the sorrow of relatives, parents losing consciousness, expectant spouses, crying, angry family members," the reporter recounted.

The eyewitness

The official of the state announced that the massive police operation involving around 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at preventing a gang referred to as Red Command from expanding its territory.

Initially, local officials claimed that "60 suspects and four police officers" had been killed during the action.

They have since said that initial estimates shows that 117 "suspects" have been killed.

The public legal service, that gives legal support to the poor, has estimated the overall count of fatalities as 132.

Based on expert analysis, the gang is the only criminal group that in the past few years has been able to expand its territory throughout Rio state.

It is widely considered among the biggest criminal organizations in Brazil, in company with First Capital Command, featuring a timeline dating back more than 50 years.

Per Brazilian journalist Rafael Soares, who has long reported on crime in Rio extensively, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with area gang leaders affiliating with the group and serving as "business partners".

The organization engages primarily in illegal drug trade, while also dealing in weapons, gold, petroleum products, beverages smoking products.

Per law enforcement statements, criminal affiliates possess significant weaponry and authorities stated that throughout the operation, they came under attack via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The state leader of the region, the political leader, described gang affiliates as "narcoterrorists" and described the security forces who died during the operation as brave public servants.

But the number of people killed in the security action has faced scrutiny from international human rights authorities stating they were "horrified".

During a press briefing the following day, Governor Castro justified security actions.

"It wasn't our intention to kill anyone. We intended to take suspects into custody without harm," he stated.

He added that the circumstances worsened because the suspects resisted aggressively: "It occurred of the resistance they carried out and the overwhelming response by those criminals."

The governor additionally stated that the victims presented by community members in the neighborhood were "altered".

Through a message through digital channels, he said that particular individuals had been stripped of the camouflage clothing that he stated they possessed "in order to shift blame onto the police".

A police official representing security forces also said that military attire, body armor, and firearms" were taken away from the casualties and showed footage seemingly depicting a person cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse