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The photographer

A photographer who observed the consequences of a massive security raid in Rio de Janeiro has recounted how community members returned with mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The bodies "kept piling up: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the photographer described. The total contained those of police officers.

One of the bodies had been decapitated - additional victims were "totally disfigured", he reported. Many also had evidence of stab wounds.

In excess of 120 victims were killed in the Tuesday operation against a criminal group - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen.

The photographer reported that he initially learned to the raid in the early hours by local people from the Alemão area, who contacted him telling him there was a shoot-out.

The eyewitness made his way to the healthcare center, where the casualties were being brought.

Itan explained that law enforcement prevented journalists from accessing the operation zone, where the operation were occurring.

"Security forces formed a line and declared: 'Media representatives cannot proceed beyond this point'."

But Itan, who spent his childhood in the area, explained he was able to gain access into the cordoned-off area, where he stayed until dawn.

He explained that Tuesday night, local residents began to search the mountainous area that separates Penha from the neighboring Alemão community for family members who were unaccounted for since the police raid.

Community members from the Penha area organized the located casualties in an open area - the documented evidence show the reaction of the gathered crowd.

"The harsh reality of the situation impacted me profoundly: the grief of loved ones, parents losing consciousness, expectant spouses, weeping, furious relatives," the photographer recalled.

Bruno Itan

The official of the region stated that the extensive law enforcement effort with approximately 2,500 security personnel was designed to preventing an illegal organization known as Comando Vermelho from growing their influence.

At first, local officials claimed that sixty individuals and four police officers" lost their lives in the raid.

Authorities later reported that their "preliminary" count shows that 117 "suspects" lost their lives.

The public legal service, which provides legal assistance to the poor, has calculated the final tally of fatalities to be 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization represents the unique criminal entity which in recent years has succeeded to increase its control throughout Rio state.

Experts commonly view as a major illegal faction in the country, alongside another major gang, and has a history dating back more than 50 years.

Based on reporter an expert, with extensive experience documenting crime in Rio extensively, Red Command "works as a system" with neighborhood bosses forming part of the gang and acting as "operational allies".

The organization engages primarily in drug trafficking, but also smuggles firearms, precious metals, fuel, beverages and tobacco.

Based on official reports, criminal affiliates have substantial firearms and authorities stated that while the action was underway, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The official of the region, the government representative, described organization participants as criminal extremists and called the security forces killed in the raid as "heroes".

But the number of fatalities in the security action has faced scrutiny from international human rights authorities expressing they felt "horrified".

At a news conference the following day, the state leader justified security actions.

"It wasn't our intention to kill anyone. We aimed to arrest them all alive," he said.

He added that the events worsened because the suspects resisted aggressively: "It was a consequence of the retaliation they executed and the disproportionate use of force by those criminals."

The governor also said that the casualties shown by residents in Penha had been "tampered with".

Via a statement on social media, he asserted that certain victims had been removed of military-style attire which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation to security forces".

Felipe Curi representing security forces further reported that military attire, protective equipment, and arms" were stripped from the bodies and presented video apparently demonstrating an individual removing tactical gear {off a corpse