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The eyewitness

A photographer who witnessed the aftermath of a large-scale law enforcement action in Rio de Janeiro has described how residents brought back mutilated bodies of people who lost their lives.

The bodies "continued arriving: the count kept increasing", the photographer reported. Among them were law enforcement personnel.

One of the bodies had been decapitated - additional victims were "severely damaged", he said. Numerous victims displayed what appeared to be blade trauma.

Over 120 individuals were killed in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the deadliest such raid the municipality has seen.

The photographer explained that he was first alerted concerning the action early on Tuesday by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who reached out informing him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The reporter traveled to the healthcare center, where the victims were being brought.

Itan explained that law enforcement stopped members of the press from entering the operation zone, where the operation were taking place.

"Police officers created a barrier and announced: 'The press doesn't get past here'."

However, the photographer, who spent his childhood in that neighborhood, explained he managed to make his way into the restricted zone, where he remained through the night.

He explained that Tuesday night, community members started looking the mountainous area that separates the community of Penha and the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for loved ones whose whereabouts were unknown following the security action.

Local people from the Penha area arranged the discovered victims in an open area - and Itan's photos reveal the emotions of those present.

"The harsh reality of the situation affected me a lot: the grief of the families, women collapsing, pregnant wives, sobbing, angry family members," the reporter recounted.

Bruno Itan

The governor of Rio state stated that the extensive law enforcement effort with approximately 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at halting a gang called Comando Vermelho from expanding its territory.

Originally, state authorities claimed that sixty alleged criminals plus four law enforcement personnel" lost their lives in the operation.

Authorities later reported that their "preliminary" count shows that 117 "suspects" have been killed.

The legal assistance organization, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has estimated the total number of people killed as 132.

According to researchers, the gang represents the unique criminal entity that recently has managed to make territorial gains across the region.

Experts commonly view among the biggest criminal organizations in Brazil, together with First Capital Command, and has a history extending half a century.

Per Brazilian journalist an expert, who has long reported on crime in Rio extensively, Red Command "operates like a franchise" with local criminal leaders affiliating with the group and acting as "operational allies".

The organization engages primarily in illegal drug trade, but also smuggles weapons, precious metals, energy resources, alcohol smoking products.

Per law enforcement statements, criminal affiliates are well armed and officials reported that while the action was underway, they encountered resistance via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The governor of the region, the political leader, labeled gang affiliates as criminal extremists and referred to the security forces killed in the raid as brave public servants.

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

During a press briefing the next day, the state leader justified security actions.

"We did not plan to kill anyone. We wanted to take suspects into custody without harm," he said.

He further explained that the events intensified as the individuals resisted aggressively: "It was a consequence of the counterattack they executed and the overwhelming response by the illegal group."

The official also said that the victims presented by community members in the neighborhood had been "tampered with".

In a post on online platforms, he asserted that certain victims had been removed of military-style attire he said they had been wearing "to redirect responsibility to security forces".

A police official from the police department additionally stated that military attire, protective equipment, and arms" were stripped from the bodies and showed footage appearing to show a person stripping military attire {off a corpse