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Bruno Itan

An eyewitness who documented the consequences of a massive security raid in Rio de Janeiro has recounted how local people returned with mutilated bodies of people who lost their lives.

The casualties "continued arriving: the numbers kept rising", the photographer reported. They included law enforcement personnel.

A particular victim was found without a head - others were "severely damaged", he said. Several bodies showed what he described as knife injuries.

More than 120 people were killed in the Tuesday operation on a criminal gang - the most lethal operation the municipality has seen.

Bruno Itan stated that he initially learned about the operation in the early hours by residents living in Alemão, who contacted him informing him there was a shoot-out.

The reporter made his way to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the bodies were arriving.

The photographer stated that law enforcement stopped members of the press from accessing the affected area, where the police action were taking place.

"Law enforcement personnel established a perimeter and declared: 'The press are not allowed to pass'."

However, the photographer, who was raised in the area, explained he managed to gain access into the restricted zone, where he continued until dawn.

He explained that Tuesday night, local residents commenced searching the hillside that separates Penha from the neighboring Alemão community for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown following the security action.

Local people from the Penha area organized the recovered bodies in a public space - the photographer's images reveal the response of the gathered crowd.

"The harsh reality of it all shook me a lot: the sorrow of the families, mothers fainting, expectant spouses, weeping, angry family members," the photographer recalled.

The eyewitness

The state leader of Rio state announced that the large-scale security action with approximately 2,500 security personnel was intended to stopping an illegal organization called Comando Vermelho from increasing their control.

Initially, state authorities stated that sixty individuals and four police officers" lost their lives in the raid.

Authorities later reported that early calculations suggests that 117 individuals lost their lives.

The legal assistance organization, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has put the final tally of people killed as 132.

Based on expert analysis, the gang represents the unique criminal entity that recently has been able to increase its control across the region.

It is generally regarded one of the two largest gangs in the country, alongside another major gang, and has a history extending half a century.

According to Brazilian journalist an expert, with extensive experience documenting criminal activity in the city for years, the gang "functions as a network" with area gang leaders joining the organization and serving as "operational allies".

The criminal group concentrates largely on illegal drug trade, but also smuggles firearms, valuable minerals, energy resources, alcohol cigarettes.

Per law enforcement statements, organization members possess significant weaponry and authorities stated that throughout the operation, they came under attack using drone-delivered explosives.

The state leader of Rio state, the political leader, characterized Red Command members as criminal extremists and referred to the security forces fatally injured in the action as courageous individuals.

However, the count of fatalities during the raid has received condemnation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressing they felt "shocked".

During a press briefing on Wednesday, Governor Castro 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 events worsened because the suspects resisted aggressively: "It occurred of the resistance they executed and the overwhelming response from the gang members."

The state leader also said that the bodies shown by residents in Penha were "altered".

Via a statement on online platforms, he asserted that particular individuals had been removed of military-style attire which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation onto the police".

A police official from the police department also said that military attire, vests, and arms" were taken away from the bodies and showed footage seemingly depicting a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse