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The photographer

An eyewitness who witnessed the aftermath of an extensive Brazilian police operation in the Brazilian city has reported how community members came back with mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The bodies "kept coming: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the photographer described. The total contained law enforcement personnel.

A particular victim was discovered headless - others were "completely mutilated", he explained. Numerous victims displayed what appeared to be stab wounds.

Over 120 individuals lost their lives in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the most lethal operation in the city.

The photographer reported that he was first alerted about the operation Tuesday morning by community members from the Alemão area, who sent him messages informing him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The eyewitness made his way to the healthcare center, where the bodies were being brought.

Itan explained that security forces prevented journalists from going into the operation zone, where the police action were taking place.

"Law enforcement personnel created a barrier and announced: 'Media representatives cannot proceed beyond this point'."

But Itan, who spent his childhood in the area, reported he managed to make his way past the security perimeter, where he remained until dawn.

He described that Tuesday night, local residents started looking the hillside which divides Penha from the neighboring Alemão community for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown since the police raid.

Community members from the Penha area proceeded to place the recovered bodies in an open area - the photographer's images display the response of the gathered crowd.

"The brutality of it all shook me profoundly: the sorrow of loved ones, mothers fainting, pregnant wives, sobbing, furious relatives," the reporter recounted.

The eyewitness

The official of the region announced that the massive police operation with approximately 2,500 security personnel was aimed at preventing a criminal group called Comando Vermelho from increasing their control.

Originally, local officials maintained that sixty individuals plus four law enforcement personnel" lost their lives in the operation.

They have since said that initial estimates indicates that 117 alleged criminals lost their lives.

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to the poor, has put the total number of casualties at 132.

According to researchers, the criminal organization stands as the sole illegal faction which in recent years has been able 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 extending half a century.

According to Brazilian journalist an expert, with extensive experience documenting criminal activity in the city over many years, Red Command "operates like a franchise" with neighborhood bosses joining the organization and serving as "business partners".

The organization concentrates largely on drug trafficking, additionally trafficking guns, gold, energy resources, liquor smoking products.

Per law enforcement statements, organization members possess significant weaponry and police said that during the raid, they encountered resistance using drone-delivered explosives.

The official of the region, Cláudio Castro, characterized organization participants as criminal extremists and referred to the law enforcement personnel who died during the operation as "heroes".

But the number of casualties in the security action has received condemnation from UN human rights officials expressing they felt "appalled".

During a press briefing on Wednesday, Governor Castro supported law enforcement.

"We did not plan to cause fatalities. We intended to arrest them all alive," he said.

He added that the events intensified due to the alleged criminals resisted aggressively: "It occurred of the resistance they implemented and the overwhelming response from the gang members."

The official further reported that the casualties presented by community members in the area were "altered".

Through a message on social media, he said that particular individuals had been stripped of tactical gear he said they had been wearing "to redirect responsibility onto the police".

A law enforcement representative representing security forces also said that "camouflage clothing, body armor, and firearms" had been removed from the casualties and displayed evidence appearing to show an individual removing tactical gear {off a corpse