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The eyewitness

An eyewitness who observed the results of an extensive Brazilian police operation in the metropolitan area has reported how community members returned with badly injured victims of the deceased individuals.

The bodies "kept coming: the numbers kept rising", Bruno Itan stated. Among them were those of police officers.

One of the bodies was found without a head - others were "totally disfigured", he explained. Many also had what he described as stab wounds.

More than 120 people were fatally injured during Tuesday's raid targeting an illegal organization - the most lethal operation Rio has experienced.

The photographer stated that he was first alerted about the operation in the early hours by community members from the Alemão area, who sent him messages alerting him gunfire had erupted.

The reporter traveled to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the victims were being brought.

Itan explained that law enforcement prevented journalists from entering the operation zone, where the police action were taking place.

"Law enforcement personnel formed a line and said: 'Media representatives doesn't get past here'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who grew up in the community, explained he managed to gain access into the cordoned-off area, where he remained through the night.

He reported that Tuesday night, local residents commenced searching the hillside that borders Penha from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown after the operation.

Local people of the Penha neighbourhood organized the located casualties in a square - the documented evidence show the response of those present.

"The harsh reality of what occurred impacted me a lot: the pain of the families, women collapsing, women carrying children, crying, furious relatives," the reporter recounted.

The photographer

The state leader of Rio state declared that the massive police operation deploying about 2,500 security personnel was designed to halting a gang referred to as Comando Vermelho from increasing their control.

Initially, state authorities claimed that "60 suspects and four police officers" lost their lives in the raid.

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

The legal assistance organization, which provides legal assistance to the poor, has calculated the final tally of casualties as 132.

Per investigative findings, the gang is the only criminal group which in recent years has succeeded to increase its control across the region.

It is generally regarded as a major illegal faction in the country, in company with First Capital Command, and has a history spanning over five decades.

According to correspondent an expert, who has long reported on illegal operations in Rio for years, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with neighborhood bosses affiliating with the group and serving as "commercial associates".

The organization engages primarily in illegal drug trade, additionally trafficking guns, gold, energy resources, alcohol and tobacco.

According to the authorities, organization members possess significant weaponry and police said that during the raid, they encountered resistance from explosive-laden drones.

The governor of Rio state, Cláudio Castro, described organization participants as criminal extremists and called the security forces fatally injured in the action as "heroes".

Nevertheless, the total of fatalities in the security action has received condemnation from international human rights authorities stating they were "appalled".

At a news conference the next day, the official supported law enforcement.

"It wasn't our intention to result in deaths. We intended to take suspects into custody without harm," he stated.

He continued that the circumstances intensified as the individuals had retaliated: "It occurred of the retaliation they carried out and the excessive violence from the gang members."

The official further reported that the victims shown by residents in the neighborhood were "altered".

Through a message through digital channels, he said that certain victims had been stripped of the camouflage clothing which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation to security forces".

A police official of Rio's civil police force also said that military attire, body armor, and arms" were taken away from the bodies and displayed evidence apparently demonstrating a man removing tactical gear {off a corpse