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The eyewitness

An eyewitness who witnessed the aftermath of a large-scale security raid in the Brazilian city has described how community members brought back disfigured remains of those who had died.

The bodies "continued arriving: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", Bruno Itan described. Among them were security forces.

One of the bodies was discovered headless - while others appeared "totally disfigured", he reported. Several bodies showed what appeared to be blade trauma.

More than 120 people lost their lives during Tuesday's raid targeting an illegal organization - the most lethal operation in the city.

Bruno Itan reported that residents first notified him concerning the action early on Tuesday by community members from the Alemão area, who sent him messages telling him gunfire had erupted.

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

Itan explained that law enforcement prevented journalists from going into the affected area, where the police action were occurring.

"Security forces created a barrier and declared: 'Media representatives are not allowed to pass'."

However, the photographer, who grew up in that neighborhood, explained he was able to gain access into the restricted zone, where he stayed until dawn.

He described that evening, area inhabitants started looking the elevated terrain which divides the community of Penha and the adjacent Alemão area for family members whose whereabouts were unknown following the security action.

Community members of the Penha neighbourhood organized the recovered bodies in a public space - and Itan's photos reveal the response of those present.

"The brutality of what occurred affected me deeply: the grief of loved ones, women collapsing, expectant spouses, sobbing, angry family members," the eyewitness remembered.

The photographer

The governor of Rio state declared that the large-scale security action involving around 2,500 officers was designed to stopping a gang referred to as Comando Vermelho from increasing their control.

At first, the Rio state government maintained that sixty individuals plus four law enforcement personnel" had been killed in the raid.

Authorities later reported that early calculations shows that 117 "suspects" were fatally injured.

Rio's public defender's office, that offers legal help to the poor, has calculated the overall count of casualties to be 132.

According to researchers, Red Command is the only criminal group that recently has managed to make territorial gains across the region.

It is generally regarded as a major illegal faction in the country, alongside First Capital Command, featuring a timeline extending half a century.

According to correspondent a specialist, who has been covering crime in Rio extensively, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with neighborhood bosses forming part of the gang and acting as "commercial associates".

The gang focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, while also dealing in guns, gold, energy resources, beverages smoking products.

Per law enforcement statements, organization members possess significant weaponry and authorities stated that during the raid, they encountered resistance via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The official of the region, the government representative, described gang affiliates as criminal extremists and called the four police officers killed in the raid as "heroes".

Nevertheless, the total of fatalities during the raid has come in for criticism with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights saying it was "shocked".

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

"There was no objective to kill anyone. We wanted to take suspects into custody without harm," he stated.

He further explained that the circumstances had escalated as the individuals had retaliated: "It was a consequence of the retaliation they implemented and the overwhelming response by the illegal group."

The official further reported that the casualties displayed by locals in the area had been "tampered with".

Via a statement on social media, he asserted that particular individuals had been removed of tactical gear which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation onto the police".

Felipe Curi from the police department further reported that "camouflage clothing, body armor, and arms" were taken away from the bodies and presented video apparently demonstrating an individual removing tactical gear {off a corpse