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The eyewitness

A photographer who witnessed the aftermath of an extensive security raid in the metropolitan area has described how community members returned with disfigured remains of those who had died.

The bodies "kept coming: the numbers kept rising", the photographer described. Among them were security forces.

One individual was found without a head - additional victims were "completely mutilated", he said. Many also had what appeared to be knife injuries.

Over 120 individuals were killed during the security action against a criminal group - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen.

Bruno Itan explained that he was first alerted concerning the action Tuesday morning by local people of the Alemão neighbourhood, who contacted him alerting him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The photographer made his way to the healthcare center, where the bodies were coming in.

The photographer stated that the police blocked media personnel from entering the affected area, where the operation was under way.

"Security forces created a barrier and declared: 'Journalists doesn't get past here'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who spent his childhood in that neighborhood, stated he was able to make his way into the restricted zone, where he stayed until dawn.

He reported during the night, community members commenced searching the mountainous area which divides Penha from the adjacent Alemão area for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown after the operation.

Local people living in Penha organized the recovered bodies in a square - the documented evidence reveal the reaction of the gathered crowd.

"The harsh reality of the situation shook me deeply: the pain of loved ones, mothers fainting, women carrying children, sobbing, outraged parents," the eyewitness remembered.

The photographer

The governor of the region declared that the extensive law enforcement effort involving around 2,500 officers was aimed at stopping an illegal organization known as Red Command from increasing their control.

Originally, the Rio state government maintained that sixty individuals plus four law enforcement personnel" were fatally injured in the raid.

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

The public legal service, that gives legal support to disadvantaged individuals, has put the final tally of casualties to be 132.

According to researchers, the criminal organization stands as the sole illegal faction which in recent years has succeeded to increase its control across the region.

It is generally regarded among the biggest criminal organizations in the country, in company with another major gang, featuring a timeline dating back more than 50 years.

Based on Brazilian journalist a specialist, who has long reported on illegal operations in Rio extensively, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and serving as "operational allies".

The gang engages primarily in drug trafficking, additionally trafficking firearms, gold, energy resources, liquor and tobacco.

According to the authorities, gang members have substantial firearms and officials reported that throughout the operation, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The state leader of the region, the political leader, described Red Command members as "narcoterrorists" and described the four police officers fatally injured in the action as brave public servants.

However, the count of people killed in the operation has faced scrutiny from international human rights authorities saying it was "shocked".

At a news conference the following day, Governor Castro supported law enforcement.

"There was no objective to cause fatalities. We aimed to take suspects into custody without harm," he said.

He continued that the situation had escalated as the individuals fought back: "It was a consequence of the retaliation they carried out and the overwhelming response by those criminals."

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

Via a statement on social media, he asserted that some of them had been stripped of tactical gear which he claimed they wore "to redirect responsibility onto the police".

A law enforcement representative from the police department additionally stated that "camouflage clothing, protective equipment, and weapons" had been removed from the victims and presented video seemingly depicting a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse