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The eyewitness

A photographer who documented the results of a large-scale security raid in Rio de Janeiro has recounted how residents returned with badly injured victims of those who had died.

The victims "kept coming: the numbers kept rising", the photographer reported. The total contained law enforcement personnel.

One individual had been decapitated - others were "totally disfigured", he explained. Several bodies showed what he described as stab wounds.

More than 120 people were killed in the Tuesday operation against a criminal group - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen.

Bruno Itan reported that he was first alerted concerning the action early on Tuesday by residents of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages telling him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The eyewitness traveled to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the bodies were arriving.

The eyewitness reported that the police stopped members of the press from entering the affected area, where the security measures was under way.

"Law enforcement personnel created a barrier and said: 'Media representatives cannot proceed beyond this point'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who spent his childhood in the area, reported he managed to make his way into the restricted zone, where he stayed until dawn.

He reported during the night, local residents began to search the elevated terrain that separates the Penha neighborhood from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for loved ones who were unaccounted for since the police raid.

Local people from the Penha area arranged the discovered victims in an open area - the photographer's images display the emotions of the people there.

"The harsh reality of what occurred impacted me deeply: the sorrow of loved ones, mothers fainting, expectant spouses, weeping, outraged parents," the eyewitness remembered.

The eyewitness

The governor of Rio state stated that the massive police operation deploying about 2,500 law enforcement members was designed to halting a gang known as Comando Vermelho from expanding its territory.

Originally, the Rio state government claimed that "60 suspects and four police officers" lost their lives in the raid.

They have since said that their "preliminary" count indicates that 117 "suspects" were fatally injured.

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to disadvantaged individuals, has put the final tally of people killed as 132.

Based on expert analysis, the gang stands as the sole illegal faction which in recent years has succeeded to expand its territory throughout Rio state.

Experts commonly view as a major illegal faction nationally, in company with a rival criminal group, featuring a timeline dating back more than 50 years.

According to Brazilian journalist a specialist, who has been covering illegal operations in Rio extensively, the criminal organization "works as a system" with neighborhood bosses joining the organization and serving as "business partners".

The organization engages primarily in drug trafficking, while also dealing in weapons, valuable minerals, fuel, alcohol cigarettes.

Per law enforcement statements, gang members have substantial firearms and authorities stated that throughout the operation, they encountered resistance from explosive-laden drones.

The governor of the region, Cláudio Castro, characterized Red Command members as drug terrorists and described the security forces who died during the operation as courageous individuals.

However, the count of casualties during the raid has come in for criticism from international human rights authorities saying it was "appalled".

In a media appearance the next day, Governor Castro defended the police force.

"There was no objective to kill anyone. We intended to arrest them all alive," he stated.

He further explained that the circumstances intensified due to the alleged criminals fought back: "It was a consequence of the resistance they carried out and the disproportionate use of force from the gang members."

The official additionally stated that the casualties displayed by locals in the area had been "manipulated".

Through a message on online platforms, he said that some of them had been taken of the camouflage clothing which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation onto the police".

A law enforcement representative of Rio's civil police force additionally stated that military attire, body armor, and firearms" were stripped from the victims and showed footage appearing to show a person cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse