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The photographer

A photographer who witnessed the consequences of a large-scale security raid in the metropolitan area has described how residents came back with disfigured remains of those who had died.

The victims "kept piling up: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the photographer reported. They included law enforcement personnel.

A particular victim was found without a head - while others appeared "completely mutilated", he said. Several bodies showed what he described as stab wounds.

Over 120 individuals were fatally injured in the Tuesday operation on a criminal gang - the deadliest such raid in the city.

The eyewitness stated that he initially learned about the operation in the early hours by residents living in Alemão, who reached out alerting him gunfire had erupted.

The reporter made his way to the healthcare center, where the victims were coming in.

The eyewitness reported that law enforcement blocked media personnel from accessing the affected area, where the police action were taking place.

"Law enforcement personnel formed a line and announced: 'Journalists doesn't get past here'."

However, the photographer, who grew up in that neighborhood, explained he succeeded to make his way into the cordoned-off area, where he remained until the next morning.

He explained that evening, area inhabitants commenced searching the hillside that separates Penha from the neighboring Alemão community for family members who had been missing following the security action.

Residents living in Penha proceeded to place the discovered victims in an open area - and Itan's photos show the response of the gathered crowd.

"The violence of it all impacted me a lot: the pain of the families, women collapsing, women carrying children, weeping, furious relatives," the reporter recounted.

Bruno Itan

The official of Rio state announced that the massive police operation involving around 2,500 law enforcement members was designed to preventing a gang known as Red Command from growing their influence.

Initially, the Rio state government stated that sixty individuals and four police officers" had been killed in the operation.

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

The public legal service, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has estimated the overall count of people killed as 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization stands as the sole illegal faction that recently has been able to make territorial gains in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is widely considered one of the two largest gangs nationally, in company with a rival criminal group, and has a history spanning over five decades.

Per correspondent Rafael Soares, with extensive experience documenting criminal activity in the city extensively, the criminal organization "works as a system" with area gang leaders joining the organization and serving as "business partners".

The gang concentrates largely on narcotics distribution, while also dealing in firearms, gold, petroleum products, alcohol smoking products.

Per law enforcement statements, organization members possess significant weaponry and officials reported that during the raid, they faced assaults from explosive-laden drones.

The official of the state, Cláudio Castro, described gang affiliates as drug terrorists and referred to the security forces killed in the raid as courageous individuals.

Nevertheless, the total of fatalities in the security action has come in for criticism from international human rights authorities saying it was "horrified".

In a media appearance on Wednesday, the state leader supported law enforcement.

"We did not plan to cause fatalities. We intended to detain everyone safely," he stated.

He continued that the events had escalated because the suspects fought back: "It resulted of the retaliation they executed and the overwhelming response from the gang members."

The state leader additionally stated that the casualties shown by residents in the area were "altered".

Via a statement on online platforms, he asserted that certain victims had been removed of tactical gear that he stated they possessed "to redirect responsibility onto the police".

A police official from the police department also said that military attire, vests, and firearms" had been removed from the victims and displayed evidence seemingly depicting a person stripping military attire {off a corpse