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Bruno Itan

A reporter who witnessed the results of a massive Brazilian police operation in the Brazilian city has described how local people came back with mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The victims "kept coming: the numbers kept rising", the photographer reported. They included those of police officers.

One of the bodies was discovered headless - others were "totally disfigured", he explained. Several bodies showed what appeared to be stab wounds.

Over 120 individuals lost their lives in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the deadliest such raid Rio has experienced.

The photographer explained that he was first alerted about the operation early on Tuesday by community members living in Alemão, who contacted him telling him there was a shoot-out.

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

The photographer stated that law enforcement prevented journalists from entering the Penha neighborhood, where the operation were taking place.

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

However, the photographer, who grew up in the community, reported he was able to make his way past the security perimeter, where he continued through the night.

He explained during the night, local residents started looking the hillside that separates Penha from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown following the security action.

Community members of the Penha neighbourhood organized the discovered victims in a square - the photographer's images reveal the response of the people there.

"The violence of the situation impacted me profoundly: the sorrow of the families, mothers fainting, expectant spouses, crying, outraged parents," the photographer recalled.

Bruno Itan

The official of the region announced that the large-scale security action involving around 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at preventing a criminal group called the criminal faction from growing their influence.

Initially, state authorities claimed that "60 suspects plus four law enforcement personnel" had been killed during the action.

They have since said that initial estimates shows that 117 "suspects" were fatally injured.

The legal assistance organization, that offers legal help to the poor, has calculated the overall count of people killed as 132.

Based on expert analysis, the gang represents the unique criminal entity that in the past few years has managed to make territorial gains in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is generally regarded among the biggest criminal organizations nationally, alongside another major gang, with a background dating back more than 50 years.

Based on Brazilian journalist Rafael Soares, who has been covering crime in Rio for years, the criminal organization "functions as a network" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and acting as "operational allies".

The organization focuses mainly on drug trafficking, additionally trafficking firearms, gold, energy resources, liquor smoking products.

Per law enforcement statements, criminal affiliates are well armed and authorities stated that during the raid, they faced assaults via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The official of the state, the political leader, labeled organization participants as criminal extremists and described the security forces who died during the operation as courageous individuals.

However, the count of casualties in the security action has received condemnation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stating they were "horrified".

During a press briefing the next day, the official supported law enforcement.

"There was no objective to cause fatalities. We aimed to detain everyone safely," he said.

He added that the circumstances worsened as the individuals had retaliated: "It was a consequence of the retaliation they implemented and the overwhelming response from the gang members."

The state leader further reported that the bodies shown by residents in Penha were "altered".

In a post through digital channels, he said that certain victims had been stripped of the camouflage clothing that he stated they possessed "to transfer accusation onto the police".

A police official from the police department also said that "camouflage clothing, vests, and firearms" were taken away from the casualties and showed footage apparently demonstrating a person removing tactical gear {off a corpse