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The photographer

A reporter who documented the consequences of a large-scale security raid in Rio de Janeiro has described how local people returned with mutilated bodies of those who had died.

The victims "kept piling up: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the photographer stated. They included security forces.

A particular victim was discovered headless - others were "totally disfigured", he explained. Many also had what he described as knife injuries.

Over 120 individuals lost their lives during the security action on a criminal gang - the most lethal operation in the city.

The eyewitness reported that he initially learned concerning the action in the early hours by residents of the Alemão neighbourhood, who contacted him informing him gunfire had erupted.

The reporter traveled to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the victims were being brought.

Itan explained that law enforcement blocked media personnel from accessing the operation zone, where the police action was under way.

"Law enforcement personnel created a barrier and said: 'Media representatives doesn't get past here'."

But Itan, who was raised in the area, reported he succeeded to gain access into the restricted zone, where he stayed until the next morning.

He described that Tuesday night, community members started looking the mountainous area which divides Penha from the adjacent Alemão area for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown since the police raid.

Local people of the Penha neighbourhood proceeded to place the located casualties in a public space - the documented evidence show the emotions of the gathered crowd.

"The violence of the situation affected me deeply: the pain of the families, parents losing consciousness, women carrying children, weeping, angry family members," the photographer recalled.

The eyewitness

The state leader of the state announced that the large-scale security action involving around 2,500 law enforcement members was intended to preventing an illegal organization known as the criminal faction from increasing their control.

Initially, local officials claimed that sixty alleged criminals plus four law enforcement personnel" lost their lives in the operation.

Authorities later reported that their "preliminary" count indicates that 117 individuals were fatally injured.

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has calculated the final tally of casualties as 132.

According to researchers, the gang is the only criminal group which in recent years has succeeded to expand its territory throughout Rio state.

Experts commonly view as a major illegal faction in Brazil, in company with another major gang, featuring a timeline dating back more than 50 years.

Based on Brazilian journalist an expert, with extensive experience documenting criminal activity in the city extensively, the gang "operates like a franchise" with area gang leaders joining the organization and serving as "commercial associates".

The organization concentrates largely on narcotics distribution, while also dealing in weapons, gold, energy resources, liquor cigarettes.

Based on official reports, organization members possess significant weaponry and authorities stated that throughout the operation, they faced assaults via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The official of the region, the political leader, described organization participants as "narcoterrorists" and described the four police officers who died during the operation as brave public servants.

Nevertheless, the total of fatalities in the operation has faced scrutiny from UN human rights officials expressing they felt "horrified".

At a news conference the next day, the official justified security actions.

"We did not plan to result in deaths. We wanted to take suspects into custody without harm," he declared.

He further explained that the situation worsened as the individuals resisted aggressively: "It resulted of the counterattack they implemented and the overwhelming response by the illegal group."

The governor also said that the casualties shown by residents in the area were "altered".

Through a message on social media, he claimed that certain victims had been stripped of military-style attire which he claimed they wore "to redirect responsibility to security forces".

A law enforcement representative representing security forces additionally stated that tactical gear, body armor, and weapons" were taken away from the bodies and showed footage seemingly depicting a man removing tactical gear {off a corpse