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The photographer

A photographer who witnessed the aftermath of a massive security raid in the metropolitan area has reported how local people came back with mutilated bodies of those who had died.

The casualties "kept piling up: the count kept increasing", the eyewitness reported. Among them were those of police officers.

A particular victim was discovered headless - while others appeared "totally disfigured", he said. Many also had what appeared to be knife injuries.

In excess of 120 victims lost their lives in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the bloodiest action in the city.

The eyewitness stated that he was first alerted to the raid Tuesday morning by community members from the Alemão area, who contacted him alerting him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The photographer went to the healthcare center, where the casualties were coming in.

Itan explained that the police blocked media personnel from going into the affected area, where the operation were occurring.

"Law enforcement personnel formed a line and announced: 'The press cannot proceed beyond this point'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who grew up in the area, explained he was able to gain access into the cordoned-off area, where he continued until dawn.

He explained during the night, local residents started looking the elevated terrain that borders Penha from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for family members who were unaccounted for after the operation.

Residents of the Penha neighbourhood organized the located casualties in an open area - and Itan's photos show the emotions of the people there.

"The harsh reality of the situation shook me a lot: the sorrow of loved ones, women collapsing, pregnant wives, sobbing, angry family members," the reporter recounted.

The eyewitness

The governor of the region declared that the extensive law enforcement effort deploying about 2,500 law enforcement members was designed to preventing a gang called the criminal faction from increasing their control.

Initially, local officials claimed that sixty individuals along with four officers" were fatally injured in the raid.

They have since said that initial estimates suggests that 117 alleged criminals were fatally injured.

The legal assistance organization, that gives legal support to the poor, has calculated the overall count of people killed to be 132.

Per investigative findings, the gang is the only criminal group that in the past few years has succeeded to make territorial gains in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is generally regarded among the biggest criminal organizations in Brazil, together with a rival criminal group, featuring a timeline extending half a century.

Per correspondent Rafael Soares, with extensive experience documenting criminal activity in the city extensively, the gang "works as a system" with area gang leaders forming part of the gang and becoming "commercial associates".

The gang concentrates largely on illegal drug trade, but also smuggles guns, valuable minerals, energy resources, beverages and tobacco.

Per law enforcement statements, criminal affiliates possess significant weaponry and officials reported that throughout the operation, they came under attack via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The official of the state, the political leader, labeled organization participants as drug terrorists and referred to the security forces who died during the operation as "heroes".

However, the count of people killed in the security action has received condemnation from UN human rights officials expressing they felt "appalled".

During a press briefing the following day, Governor Castro defended the police force.

"We did not plan to cause fatalities. We aimed to arrest them all alive," he declared.

He added that the events worsened as the individuals fought back: "It occurred of the resistance they executed and the excessive violence by those criminals."

The official further reported that the casualties shown by residents in Penha had been "tampered with".

Via a statement on online platforms, he claimed that certain victims had been taken of tactical gear he said they had been wearing "to redirect responsibility to security forces".

A police official of Rio's civil police force additionally stated that "camouflage clothing, body armor, and firearms" were taken away from the victims and presented video appearing to show a person stripping military attire {off a corpse