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The photographer

A photographer who observed the aftermath of a large-scale Brazilian police operation in the metropolitan area has described how community members brought back disfigured remains of those who had died.

The bodies "kept piling up: the count kept increasing", the photographer reported. The total contained security forces.

One individual was discovered headless - while others appeared "totally disfigured", he reported. Numerous victims displayed what he described as blade trauma.

In excess of 120 victims lost their lives in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the most lethal operation the municipality has seen.

Bruno Itan stated that residents first notified him to the raid Tuesday morning by residents of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages informing him an armed confrontation was occurring.

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

The eyewitness reported that the police prevented journalists from accessing the affected area, where the security measures was under way.

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

But Itan, who was raised in that neighborhood, stated he managed to gain access into the restricted zone, where he continued through the night.

He explained during the night, area inhabitants began to search the elevated terrain that separates the community of Penha and the adjacent Alemão area for relatives who had been missing since the police raid.

Residents of the Penha neighbourhood organized the located casualties in a square - the documented evidence show the reaction of the people there.

"The harsh reality of what occurred impacted me profoundly: the sorrow of relatives, mothers fainting, pregnant wives, crying, outraged parents," the reporter recounted.

The photographer

The state leader of Rio state stated that the massive police operation with approximately 2,500 law enforcement members was intended to preventing a criminal group known as Red Command from increasing their control.

Originally, local officials maintained that sixty alleged criminals and four police officers" were fatally injured in the operation.

Officials subsequently stated that early calculations shows that 117 alleged criminals lost their lives.

Rio's public defender's office, that offers legal help to disadvantaged individuals, has put the final tally of fatalities at 132.

Based on expert analysis, Red Command stands as the sole illegal faction that in the past few years has managed to make territorial gains across the region.

It is widely considered as a major illegal faction in the country, in company with First Capital Command, with a background dating back more than 50 years.

Per Brazilian journalist Rafael Soares, who has long reported on illegal operations in Rio over many years, the criminal organization "works as a system" with neighborhood bosses forming part of the gang and acting as "operational allies".

The gang engages primarily in illegal drug trade, but also smuggles guns, valuable minerals, fuel, alcohol and tobacco.

Based on official reports, criminal affiliates have substantial firearms and authorities stated that throughout the operation, they encountered resistance from explosive-laden drones.

The governor of the region, the government representative, labeled gang affiliates as criminal extremists and described the four police officers fatally injured in the action as courageous individuals.

Nevertheless, the total of people killed during the raid has faced scrutiny with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights saying it was "horrified".

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

"There was no objective to result in deaths. We aimed to detain everyone safely," he stated.

He further explained that the events intensified due to the alleged criminals fought back: "It resulted of the counterattack they executed and the excessive violence by the illegal group."

The state leader further reported that the casualties shown by residents in the neighborhood were "altered".

Through a message on online platforms, he claimed that certain victims had been taken of the camouflage clothing he said they had been wearing "in order to shift blame toward law enforcement".

Felipe Curi representing security forces also said that "camouflage clothing, vests, and weapons" were taken away from the victims and presented video apparently demonstrating a person stripping military attire {off a corpse