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The eyewitness

A photographer who observed the aftermath of a massive law enforcement action in Rio de Janeiro has recounted how residents came back with mutilated bodies of people who lost their lives.

The victims "continued arriving: the count kept increasing", the eyewitness reported. They included law enforcement personnel.

One individual was found without a head - while others appeared "completely mutilated", he reported. Many also had evidence of knife injuries.

More than 120 people were fatally injured during Tuesday's raid targeting an illegal organization - the deadliest such raid the municipality has seen.

The photographer reported that residents first notified him to the raid early on Tuesday by residents living in Alemão, who contacted him alerting him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The eyewitness made his way to a local medical facility, where the victims were being brought.

Itan explained that law enforcement stopped members of the press from going into the Penha neighborhood, where the police action were taking place.

"Law enforcement personnel created a barrier and declared: 'Media representatives cannot proceed beyond this point'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who was raised in the community, explained he succeeded to make his way into the restricted zone, where he continued through the night.

He explained that evening, area inhabitants began to search the mountainous area that separates the Penha neighborhood from the neighboring Alemão community for family members who were unaccounted for following the security action.

Community members of the Penha neighbourhood arranged the recovered bodies in a square - the documented evidence show the response of those present.

"The brutality of what occurred impacted me profoundly: the sorrow of the families, women collapsing, pregnant wives, weeping, angry family members," the eyewitness remembered.

The photographer

The state leader of the region declared that the large-scale security action involving around 2,500 law enforcement members was intended to halting a criminal group known as the criminal faction from expanding its territory.

Initially, local officials stated that sixty individuals plus four law enforcement personnel" lost their lives in the operation.

Officials subsequently stated that early calculations shows that 117 alleged criminals lost their lives.

The legal assistance organization, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has calculated the total number of fatalities as 132.

Per investigative findings, Red Command is the only criminal group that in the past few years has succeeded to expand its territory throughout Rio state.

Experts commonly view as a major illegal faction in Brazil, together with First Capital Command, with a background extending half a century.

According to correspondent a specialist, with extensive experience documenting crime in Rio for years, Red Command "operates like a franchise" with neighborhood bosses joining the organization and acting as "business partners".

The criminal group focuses mainly on narcotics distribution, but also smuggles weapons, gold, energy resources, beverages and tobacco.

Based on official reports, organization members have substantial firearms and police said that while the action was underway, they encountered resistance from explosive-laden drones.

The state leader of the region, the government representative, described gang affiliates as criminal extremists and described the law enforcement personnel who died during the operation as "heroes".

But the number of casualties in the operation has faced scrutiny from UN human rights officials expressing they felt "appalled".

At a news conference the following day, the official defended the police force.

"It wasn't our intention to cause fatalities. We wanted to detain everyone safely," he declared.

He further explained that the circumstances worsened because the suspects resisted aggressively: "It occurred of the retaliation they carried out and the overwhelming response from the gang members."

The governor also said that the bodies shown by residents in the area were "altered".

In a post through digital channels, he claimed that particular individuals had been stripped of tactical gear which he claimed they wore "to redirect responsibility toward law enforcement".

Felipe Curi representing security forces additionally stated that military attire, body armor, and firearms" were taken away from the victims and showed footage seemingly depicting a person cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse