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The eyewitness

A photographer who observed the aftermath of a massive security raid in the Brazilian city has reported how residents brought back mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The bodies "kept piling up: the count kept increasing", the eyewitness reported. The total contained security forces.

One individual had been decapitated - additional victims were "completely mutilated", he said. Numerous victims displayed evidence of stab wounds.

Over 120 individuals were killed in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen.

The photographer stated that he initially learned about the operation Tuesday morning by local people living in Alemão, who sent him messages alerting him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The photographer 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 entering the Penha neighborhood, where the security measures were taking place.

"Police officers created a barrier and announced: 'Journalists doesn't get past here'."

However, the photographer, who was raised in that neighborhood, reported he succeeded to make his way into the cordoned-off area, where he remained through the night.

He reported that Tuesday night, area inhabitants began to search the elevated terrain which divides the community of Penha and the adjacent Alemão area for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown following the security action.

Community members of the Penha neighbourhood organized the recovered bodies in a square - the photographer's images show the response of the people there.

"The brutality of the situation shook me deeply: the grief of relatives, women collapsing, women carrying children, weeping, outraged parents," the eyewitness remembered.

The photographer

The governor of Rio state stated that the large-scale security action involving around 2,500 law enforcement members was intended to halting an illegal organization referred to as Red Command from expanding its territory.

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

They have since said that early calculations shows that 117 alleged criminals were fatally injured.

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has calculated the overall count of fatalities to be 132.

Based on expert analysis, the gang represents the unique criminal entity which in recent years has succeeded to increase its control in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is generally regarded one of the two largest gangs in Brazil, together with a rival criminal group, and has a history spanning over five decades.

Based on correspondent a specialist, who has been covering criminal activity in the city for years, the gang "works as a system" with local criminal leaders affiliating with the group and acting as "business partners".

The criminal group concentrates largely on narcotics distribution, additionally trafficking weapons, precious metals, petroleum products, beverages and tobacco.

According to the authorities, criminal affiliates have substantial firearms and police said that while the action was underway, they encountered resistance from explosive-laden drones.

The governor of Rio state, the political leader, described organization participants as drug terrorists and referred to the security forces killed in the raid as "heroes".

But the number of fatalities during the raid has received condemnation from UN human rights officials expressing they felt "shocked".

At a news conference on Wednesday, the state leader justified security actions.

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

He further explained that the events intensified due to the alleged criminals resisted aggressively: "It resulted of the counterattack they implemented and the overwhelming response by the illegal group."

The governor additionally stated that the bodies presented by community members in the neighborhood had been "tampered with".

Via a statement on social media, he asserted that certain victims had been taken of military-style attire that he stated they possessed "to transfer accusation onto the police".

A law enforcement representative representing security forces further reported that military attire, body armor, and arms" had been removed from the casualties and displayed evidence apparently demonstrating a person removing tactical gear {off a corpse