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The eyewitness

An eyewitness who observed the results of a massive Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has reported how residents returned with mutilated bodies of people who lost their lives.

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

One individual had been decapitated - others were "completely mutilated", he explained. Several bodies showed evidence of stab wounds.

More than 120 people lost their lives during Tuesday's raid targeting an illegal organization - the most lethal operation Rio has experienced.

The photographer stated that he initially learned about the operation early on Tuesday by residents living in Alemão, who sent him messages telling him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The reporter went to a local medical facility, where the casualties were coming in.

The photographer stated that law enforcement blocked media personnel from entering the operation zone, where the operation were occurring.

"Security forces established a perimeter and said: 'Journalists cannot proceed beyond this point'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who spent his childhood in the area, stated he was able to gain access past the security perimeter, where he remained until dawn.

He described that evening, community members started looking the mountainous area that separates the Penha neighborhood from the neighboring Alemão community for loved ones whose whereabouts were unknown since the police raid.

Community members living in Penha proceeded to place the discovered victims in a square - the documented evidence display the reaction of the gathered crowd.

"The harsh reality of the situation affected me a lot: the grief of the families, mothers fainting, pregnant wives, weeping, furious relatives," the photographer recalled.

Bruno Itan

The official of the state announced that the large-scale security action with approximately 2,500 security personnel was intended to stopping an illegal organization referred to as the criminal faction from expanding its territory.

At first, state authorities claimed that "60 suspects plus four law enforcement personnel" lost their lives in the operation.

Authorities later reported that initial estimates indicates that 117 "suspects" lost their lives.

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to the poor, has calculated the final tally of fatalities as 132.

According to researchers, the gang stands as the sole illegal faction that in the past few years has succeeded to make territorial gains across the region.

It is generally regarded one of the two largest gangs in Brazil, together with First Capital Command, and has a history dating back more than 50 years.

Based on Brazilian journalist Rafael Soares, who has been covering criminal activity in the city for years, Red Command "functions as a network" with area gang leaders affiliating with the group and acting as "operational allies".

The gang engages primarily in narcotics distribution, additionally trafficking guns, valuable minerals, petroleum products, liquor and tobacco.

According to the authorities, organization members are well armed and officials reported that while the action was underway, they came under attack using drone-delivered explosives.

The official of the state, the political leader, described Red Command members as "narcoterrorists" and referred to the four police officers fatally injured in the action as brave public servants.

However, the count of fatalities in the operation has come in for criticism from international human rights authorities stating they were "shocked".

At a news conference the next day, the state leader supported law enforcement.

"It wasn't our intention to kill anyone. We wanted to take suspects into custody without harm," he declared.

He added that the situation had escalated as the individuals had retaliated: "It was a consequence of the counterattack they executed and the disproportionate use of force by those criminals."

The governor also said that the victims presented by community members in the neighborhood had been "tampered with".

Via a statement on social media, he said that particular individuals had been stripped of military-style attire that he stated they possessed "to transfer accusation to security forces".

Felipe Curi of Rio's civil police force also said that military attire, vests, and weapons" were stripped from the casualties and showed footage apparently demonstrating an individual cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse