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The eyewitness

A reporter who documented the aftermath of a large-scale security raid in the metropolitan area has reported how community members came back with disfigured remains of people who lost their lives.

The bodies "continued arriving: the numbers kept rising", the eyewitness stated. The total contained those of police officers.

A particular victim was found without a head - additional victims were "completely mutilated", he explained. Several bodies showed evidence of knife injuries.

Over 120 individuals lost their lives in the Tuesday operation on a criminal gang - the deadliest such raid the municipality has seen.

The photographer reported that he initially learned concerning the action early on Tuesday by residents from the Alemão area, who contacted him informing him there was a shoot-out.

The photographer went to the healthcare center, where the casualties were coming in.

Itan explained that security forces prevented journalists from entering the operation zone, where the operation were taking place.

"Police officers formed a line and declared: 'The press cannot proceed beyond this point'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who was raised in the community, stated he managed to gain access into the cordoned-off area, where he stayed until the next morning.

He reported that Tuesday night, local residents commenced searching the elevated terrain that separates the Penha neighborhood from the neighboring Alemão community for family members whose whereabouts were unknown following the security action.

Residents living in Penha arranged the discovered victims in a square - the photographer's images display the reaction of the gathered crowd.

"The brutality of what occurred impacted me profoundly: the pain of the families, mothers fainting, pregnant wives, weeping, outraged parents," the eyewitness remembered.

Bruno Itan

The governor of the state declared that the extensive law enforcement effort with approximately 2,500 security personnel was intended to halting an illegal organization known as Red Command from increasing their control.

Originally, local officials stated that sixty individuals and four police officers" were fatally injured in the raid.

They have since said that their "preliminary" count indicates that 117 "suspects" were fatally injured.

The legal assistance organization, that offers legal help to the poor, has calculated the total number of casualties at 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization is the only criminal group that in the past few years has succeeded to increase its control in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Experts commonly view as a major illegal faction nationally, together with another major gang, and has a history spanning over five decades.

Per Brazilian journalist Rafael Soares, with extensive experience documenting illegal operations in Rio for years, Red Command "operates like a franchise" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and acting as "business partners".

The gang focuses mainly on drug trafficking, but also smuggles guns, precious metals, energy resources, liquor cigarettes.

Per law enforcement statements, organization members have substantial firearms and police said that during the raid, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The governor of the region, the government representative, labeled gang affiliates as "narcoterrorists" and described the security forces killed in the raid as brave public servants.

However, the count of fatalities during the raid has come in for criticism with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stating they were "horrified".

In a media appearance the following day, Governor Castro supported law enforcement.

"It wasn't our intention to kill anyone. We aimed to arrest them all alive," he said.

He added that the events had escalated due to the alleged criminals fought back: "It was a consequence of the resistance they implemented and the overwhelming response from the gang members."

The official additionally stated that the bodies shown by residents in the area had been "manipulated".

Via a statement through digital channels, he said that certain victims had been removed of tactical gear which he claimed they wore "to redirect responsibility to security forces".

A law enforcement representative from the police department also said that "camouflage clothing, protective equipment, and arms" were stripped from the victims and displayed evidence apparently demonstrating a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse