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The eyewitness

A reporter who observed the aftermath of a large-scale law enforcement action in Rio de Janeiro has described how residents brought back badly injured victims of people who lost their lives.

The victims "kept coming: the numbers kept rising", the eyewitness described. Among them were those of police officers.

One of the bodies was discovered headless - others were "severely damaged", he explained. Numerous victims displayed evidence of knife injuries.

More than 120 people lost their lives during the security action on a criminal gang - the bloodiest action in the city.

The photographer explained that residents first notified him to the raid early on Tuesday by local people living in Alemão, who reached out telling him there was a shoot-out.

The photographer traveled to a local medical facility, where the bodies were being brought.

The photographer stated that security forces blocked media personnel from entering the affected area, where the police action were taking place.

"Security forces created a barrier and said: 'The press doesn't get past here'."

But Itan, who was raised in that neighborhood, stated he succeeded to gain access into the cordoned-off area, where he stayed until the next morning.

He explained that Tuesday night, area inhabitants began to search the mountainous area that separates Penha from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for loved ones who had been missing since the police raid.

Community members of the Penha neighbourhood organized the discovered victims in an open area - and Itan's photos display the response of those present.

"The brutality of it all impacted me deeply: the sorrow of the families, parents losing consciousness, women carrying children, weeping, furious relatives," the eyewitness remembered.

The eyewitness

The official of Rio state stated that the massive police operation deploying about 2,500 law enforcement members was intended to preventing a gang referred to as the criminal faction from increasing their control.

Originally, state authorities maintained that sixty alleged criminals along with four officers" were fatally injured in the raid.

They have since said that early calculations indicates that 117 "suspects" lost their lives.

Rio's public defender's office, which provides legal assistance to disadvantaged individuals, has estimated the overall count of fatalities as 132.

Per investigative findings, Red Command stands as the sole illegal faction that in the past few years has managed to increase its control in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is generally regarded one of the two largest gangs nationally, together with another major gang, with a background dating back more than 50 years.

Per Brazilian journalist an expert, with extensive experience documenting criminal activity in the city for years, the criminal organization "functions as a network" with area gang leaders affiliating with the group and acting as "operational allies".

The criminal group focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, but also smuggles guns, precious metals, energy resources, alcohol cigarettes.

According to the authorities, gang members have substantial firearms and authorities stated that during the raid, they faced assaults using drone-delivered explosives.

The state leader of the region, the government representative, labeled gang affiliates as drug terrorists and described the security forces fatally injured in the action as brave public servants.

However, the count of people killed in the operation has faced scrutiny from UN human rights officials saying it was "horrified".

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

"There was no objective to kill anyone. We intended to take suspects into custody without harm," he said.

He continued that the situation worsened because the suspects had retaliated: "It resulted of the retaliation they carried out and the overwhelming response from the gang members."

The governor also said that the casualties presented by community members in the area were "altered".

In a post through digital channels, he asserted that some of them had been removed of the camouflage clothing that he stated they possessed "to transfer accusation to security forces".

A law enforcement representative from the police department additionally stated that military attire, protective equipment, and arms" were taken away from the bodies and showed footage apparently demonstrating an individual cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse