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Bruno Itan

A photographer who witnessed the results of an extensive Brazilian police operation in the Brazilian city has described how residents came back with disfigured remains of people who lost their lives.

The bodies "kept coming: the count kept increasing", the eyewitness stated. Among them were law enforcement personnel.

One of the bodies was found without a head - others were "totally disfigured", he explained. Several bodies showed what appeared to be blade trauma.

Over 120 individuals were killed in the Tuesday operation against a criminal group - the bloodiest action Rio has experienced.

The eyewitness reported that he initially learned about the operation Tuesday morning by local people living in Alemão, who contacted him telling him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The reporter went to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the casualties were coming in.

The eyewitness reported that law enforcement stopped members of the press from entering the Penha neighborhood, where the operation were taking place.

"Security forces established a perimeter and said: 'Journalists cannot proceed beyond this point'."

However, the photographer, who grew up in that neighborhood, explained he succeeded to enter into the cordoned-off area, where he stayed until dawn.

He reported that evening, area inhabitants started looking the hillside that separates the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for loved ones who had been missing after the operation.

Community members of the Penha neighbourhood organized the located casualties in an open area - and Itan's photos show the emotions of the people there.

"The harsh reality of the situation impacted me a lot: the grief of the families, women collapsing, women carrying children, crying, furious relatives," the photographer recalled.

Bruno Itan

The governor of Rio state announced that the massive police operation involving around 2,500 officers was intended to preventing an illegal organization known as Red Command from growing their influence.

At first, state authorities maintained that sixty individuals and four police officers" lost their lives during the action.

They have since said that early calculations indicates that 117 individuals have been killed.

The legal assistance organization, that offers legal help to disadvantaged individuals, has calculated the final tally of people killed as 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization represents the unique criminal entity that recently has managed to increase its control in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Experts commonly view one of the two largest gangs nationally, together with First Capital Command, with a background extending half a century.

Per Brazilian journalist Rafael Soares, with extensive experience documenting criminal activity in the city extensively, the gang "works as a system" with area gang leaders affiliating with the group and serving as "business partners".

The organization focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, additionally trafficking firearms, valuable minerals, petroleum products, liquor cigarettes.

Per law enforcement statements, organization members possess significant weaponry and authorities stated that throughout the operation, they faced assaults from explosive-laden drones.

The official of the region, Cláudio Castro, labeled Red Command members as criminal extremists and described the four police officers who died during the operation as "heroes".

But the number of fatalities during the raid has come in for criticism from UN human rights officials stating they were "horrified".

During a press briefing the next day, Governor Castro justified security actions.

"We did not plan to cause fatalities. We wanted to take suspects into custody without harm," he stated.

He added that the events worsened as the individuals had retaliated: "It resulted of the resistance they executed and the excessive violence from the gang members."

The governor further reported that the casualties presented by community members in Penha had been "tampered with".

Through a message through digital channels, he said that certain victims had been stripped of tactical gear that he stated they possessed "in order to shift blame to security forces".

Felipe Curi from the police department also said that military attire, vests, and weapons" were taken away from the casualties and displayed evidence appearing to show a man removing tactical gear {off a corpse