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The eyewitness

A reporter who documented the aftermath of a massive security raid in Rio de Janeiro has recounted how residents came back with mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The victims "kept coming: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the eyewitness reported. Among them were law enforcement personnel.

One individual was discovered headless - others were "severely damaged", he reported. Numerous victims displayed what he described as stab wounds.

In excess of 120 victims were killed during the security action on a criminal gang - the deadliest such raid the municipality has seen.

Bruno Itan stated that he initially learned about the operation in the early hours by residents living in Alemão, who reached out informing him gunfire had erupted.

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

The photographer stated that security forces stopped members of the press from accessing the affected area, where the operation was under way.

"Law enforcement personnel created a barrier and announced: 'The press doesn't get past here'."

However, the photographer, who was raised in that neighborhood, explained he succeeded to make his way past the security perimeter, where he remained through the night.

He explained that evening, community members started looking the elevated terrain that separates the Penha neighborhood from the neighboring Alemão community for loved ones who were unaccounted for after the operation.

Residents from the Penha area proceeded to place the discovered victims in an open area - and Itan's photos reveal the emotions of the gathered crowd.

"The violence of what occurred shook me a lot: the grief of relatives, women collapsing, women carrying children, weeping, angry family members," the reporter recounted.

The eyewitness

The state leader of Rio state declared that the massive police operation deploying about 2,500 security personnel was designed to halting an illegal organization called the criminal faction from growing their influence.

Originally, state authorities stated that sixty alleged criminals and four police officers" had been killed in the raid.

Officials subsequently stated that early calculations indicates that 117 "suspects" have been killed.

The public legal service, that gives legal support to the poor, has estimated the total number of fatalities to be 132.

Based on expert analysis, the criminal organization is the only criminal group that in the past few years has managed to make territorial gains in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is generally regarded among the biggest criminal organizations in Brazil, alongside another major gang, with a background dating back more than 50 years.

Per correspondent an expert, with extensive experience documenting illegal operations in Rio over many years, Red Command "operates like a franchise" with neighborhood bosses forming part of the gang and acting as "commercial associates".

The gang concentrates largely on illegal drug trade, but also smuggles guns, precious metals, petroleum products, beverages and tobacco.

Based on official reports, gang members possess significant weaponry and police said that during the raid, they faced assaults from explosive-laden drones.

The governor of the region, the political leader, labeled Red Command members as "narcoterrorists" and described the security forces fatally injured in the action as courageous individuals.

However, the count of fatalities in the operation has faced scrutiny from international human rights authorities saying it was "shocked".

In a media appearance on Wednesday, the official justified security actions.

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

He added that the events had escalated as the individuals resisted aggressively: "It resulted of the resistance they implemented and the overwhelming response by the illegal group."

The governor also said that the victims presented by community members in Penha were "altered".

Through a message on online platforms, he said that particular individuals had been removed of tactical gear that he stated they possessed "to transfer accusation to security forces".

Felipe Curi representing security forces additionally stated that "camouflage clothing, vests, and arms" were taken away from the victims and presented video seemingly depicting a person cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse