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The eyewitness

An eyewitness who witnessed the aftermath of a large-scale Brazilian police operation in the Brazilian city has recounted how local people brought back disfigured remains of those who had died.

The casualties "continued arriving: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the eyewitness reported. The total contained security forces.

A particular victim had been decapitated - others were "totally disfigured", he said. Numerous victims displayed what he described as blade trauma.

More than 120 people lost their lives during the security action against a criminal group - the most lethal operation in the city.

Bruno Itan stated that residents first notified him concerning the action Tuesday morning by residents from the Alemão area, who sent him messages informing him there was a shoot-out.

The eyewitness traveled to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the bodies were being brought.

Itan explained that the police stopped members of the press from accessing the affected area, where the security measures were occurring.

"Security forces created a barrier and declared: 'Journalists doesn't get past here'."

However, the photographer, who grew up in that neighborhood, reported he was able to make his way into the restricted zone, where he remained until the next morning.

He described that evening, area inhabitants started looking the hillside which divides Penha from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for family members who had been missing after the operation.

Community members from the Penha area proceeded to place the recovered bodies in an open area - and Itan's photos reveal the reaction of the people there.

"The violence of what occurred affected me deeply: the grief of relatives, parents losing consciousness, women carrying children, crying, furious relatives," the photographer recalled.

The eyewitness

The official of Rio state announced that the massive police operation deploying about 2,500 officers was aimed at preventing a criminal group known as Red Command from expanding its territory.

At first, local officials stated that "60 suspects and four police officers" were fatally injured in the operation.

They have since said that initial estimates indicates that 117 individuals lost their lives.

The public legal service, that offers legal help to disadvantaged individuals, has estimated the final tally of people killed as 132.

Per investigative findings, the gang stands as the sole illegal faction that in the past few years has managed to increase its control in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

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

Per Brazilian journalist a specialist, with extensive experience documenting illegal operations in Rio extensively, Red Command "works as a system" with area gang leaders joining the organization and becoming "commercial associates".

The criminal group focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, while also dealing in guns, valuable minerals, energy resources, beverages and tobacco.

Per law enforcement statements, gang members are well armed and authorities stated that throughout the operation, they came under attack via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The governor of the region, the political leader, described Red Command members as "narcoterrorists" and called the four police officers who died during the operation as courageous individuals.

But the number of fatalities during the raid has received condemnation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights saying it was "horrified".

During a press briefing the following day, the state leader supported law enforcement.

"It wasn't our intention to result in deaths. We aimed to detain everyone safely," he stated.

He added that the situation worsened due to the alleged criminals fought back: "It resulted of the counterattack they implemented and the overwhelming response from the gang members."

The governor further reported that the casualties displayed by locals in the area were "altered".

In a post through digital channels, he said that particular individuals had been taken of military-style attire that he stated they possessed "in order to shift blame to security forces".

A law enforcement representative of Rio's civil police force further reported that "camouflage clothing, body armor, and weapons" had been removed from the victims and presented video apparently demonstrating an individual cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse