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The eyewitness

An eyewitness who witnessed the results of a large-scale Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has recounted how community members brought back disfigured remains of people who lost their lives.

The victims "continued arriving: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", Bruno Itan stated. They included security forces.

One individual was discovered headless - while others appeared "completely mutilated", he said. Many also had what appeared to be knife injuries.

Over 120 individuals were killed in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the most lethal operation in the city.

The photographer stated that he initially learned to the raid Tuesday morning by residents from the Alemão area, who contacted him alerting him there was a shoot-out.

The eyewitness traveled to the healthcare center, where the bodies were coming in.

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

"Security forces created a barrier and said: 'Media representatives are not allowed to pass'."

However, the photographer, who grew up in the area, reported he was able to enter into the restricted zone, where he continued until the next morning.

He explained during the night, community members began to search the hillside which divides the Penha neighborhood from the neighboring Alemão community for family members who were unaccounted for since the police raid.

Residents of the Penha neighbourhood proceeded to place the recovered bodies in an open area - and Itan's photos reveal the reaction of those present.

"The harsh reality of it all affected me deeply: the sorrow of loved ones, mothers fainting, women carrying children, crying, angry family members," the eyewitness remembered.

Bruno Itan

The state leader of the state stated that the large-scale security action with approximately 2,500 security personnel was aimed at halting an illegal organization known as Red Command from growing their influence.

Originally, the Rio state government maintained that "60 suspects along with four officers" lost their lives in the raid.

Officials subsequently stated that early calculations shows that 117 alleged criminals lost their lives.

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has put the total number of casualties at 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization represents the unique criminal entity that recently has been able to expand its territory throughout Rio state.

It is widely considered one of the two largest gangs nationally, alongside a rival criminal group, featuring a timeline extending half a century.

Per reporter an expert, who has long reported on criminal activity in the city for years, Red Command "works as a system" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and acting as "business partners".

The organization focuses mainly on drug trafficking, but also smuggles firearms, gold, fuel, beverages and tobacco.

Per law enforcement statements, criminal affiliates are well armed and police said that during the raid, they faced assaults from explosive-laden drones.

The governor of Rio state, the political leader, characterized Red Command members as criminal extremists and called the security forces who died during the operation as "heroes".

Nevertheless, the total of people killed in the security action has faced scrutiny from international human rights authorities stating they were "horrified".

At a news conference the following day, the official defended the police force.

"We did not plan to result in deaths. We wanted to arrest them all alive," he stated.

He added that the circumstances worsened as the individuals resisted aggressively: "It resulted of the retaliation they implemented and the excessive violence from the gang members."

The official also said that the casualties displayed by locals in the area had been "tampered with".

In a post through digital channels, he said that some of them had been stripped of the camouflage clothing which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation to security forces".

A police official from the police department further reported that military attire, vests, and firearms" were taken away from the bodies and showed footage appearing to show a person stripping military attire {off a corpse