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Bruno Itan

A reporter who observed the results of a large-scale law enforcement action in the Brazilian city has described how residents came back with mutilated bodies of those who had died.

The bodies "kept piling up: the numbers kept rising", Bruno Itan reported. The total contained security forces.

One of the bodies had been decapitated - while others appeared "completely mutilated", he explained. Many also had what he described as knife injuries.

More than 120 people lost their lives during Tuesday's raid on a criminal gang - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen.

The photographer stated that he initially learned to the raid Tuesday morning by community members from the Alemão area, who contacted him informing him there was a shoot-out.

The eyewitness went to the healthcare center, where the casualties were coming in.

Itan explained that law enforcement blocked media personnel from entering the operation zone, where the operation were taking place.

"Police officers formed a line and said: 'Journalists cannot proceed beyond this point'."

However, the photographer, who spent his childhood in the area, stated he succeeded to enter into the cordoned-off area, where he stayed through the night.

He reported that evening, community members started looking the mountainous area that borders the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for loved ones who were unaccounted for after the operation.

Residents living in Penha arranged the discovered victims in a square - the documented evidence show the emotions of the people there.

"The brutality of the situation affected me a lot: the sorrow of loved ones, parents losing consciousness, pregnant wives, weeping, furious relatives," the photographer recalled.

The eyewitness

The governor of Rio state announced that the extensive law enforcement effort involving around 2,500 officers was intended to halting a gang called Red Command from increasing their control.

At first, the Rio state government stated that sixty individuals along with four officers" had been killed during the action.

Authorities later reported that initial estimates indicates that 117 alleged criminals lost their lives.

The legal assistance organization, that gives legal support to disadvantaged individuals, has put the total number of casualties as 132.

According to researchers, the criminal organization stands as the sole illegal faction which in recent years has succeeded to increase its control throughout Rio state.

It is generally regarded among the biggest criminal organizations nationally, in company with a rival criminal group, with a background extending half a century.

Based on correspondent Rafael Soares, who has been covering illegal operations in Rio extensively, Red Command "functions as a network" with local criminal leaders affiliating with the group and becoming "business partners".

The criminal group concentrates largely on drug trafficking, additionally trafficking guns, valuable minerals, fuel, liquor and tobacco.

Based on official reports, gang members have substantial firearms and police said that throughout the operation, they came under attack using drone-delivered explosives.

The governor of Rio state, the political leader, described organization participants as criminal extremists and called the security forces fatally injured in the action as "heroes".

However, the count of casualties during the raid has faced scrutiny from UN human rights officials saying it was "shocked".

During a press briefing the next day, the state leader defended the police force.

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

He added that the events intensified as the individuals fought back: "It occurred of the retaliation they implemented and the excessive violence from the gang members."

The governor additionally stated that the casualties displayed by locals in the neighborhood were "altered".

In a post through digital channels, he asserted that particular individuals had been taken of the camouflage clothing that he stated they possessed "to redirect responsibility onto the police".

Felipe Curi representing security forces also said that "camouflage clothing, body armor, and firearms" had been removed from the victims and showed footage seemingly depicting an individual cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse