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The eyewitness

An eyewitness who observed the aftermath of an extensive security raid in the metropolitan area has described how residents brought back badly injured victims of those who had died.

The casualties "continued arriving: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the eyewitness reported. They included those of police officers.

A particular victim had been decapitated - others were "completely mutilated", he explained. Many also had what appeared to be blade trauma.

Over 120 individuals were fatally injured during Tuesday's raid on a criminal gang - the most lethal operation in the city.

Bruno Itan stated that he initially learned concerning the action Tuesday morning by residents living in Alemão, who reached out alerting him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The reporter went to a local medical facility, where the bodies were being brought.

The eyewitness reported that law enforcement stopped members of the press from accessing the operation zone, where the security measures was under way.

"Police officers established a perimeter and said: 'Journalists doesn't get past here'."

But Itan, who grew up in the community, explained he was able to enter into the restricted zone, where he remained through the night.

He explained that Tuesday night, area inhabitants began to search the elevated terrain which divides the Penha neighborhood from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown after the operation.

Residents living in Penha proceeded to place the recovered bodies in an open area - the photographer's images show the reaction of those present.

"The brutality of the situation shook me profoundly: the pain of relatives, parents losing consciousness, women carrying children, weeping, furious relatives," the photographer recalled.

The eyewitness

The state leader of the region announced that the massive police operation involving around 2,500 officers was aimed at stopping a gang known as the criminal faction from expanding its territory.

Initially, local officials maintained that sixty alleged criminals plus four law enforcement personnel" were fatally injured in the raid.

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

Rio's public defender's office, that offers legal help to the poor, has put the total number of people killed to be 132.

According to researchers, the gang is the only criminal group that in the past few years has been able to make territorial gains across the region.

It is widely considered one of the two largest gangs in Brazil, alongside First Capital Command, and has a history spanning over five decades.

Per reporter an expert, with extensive experience documenting criminal activity in the city for years, Red Command "works as a system" with area gang leaders affiliating with the group and acting as "operational allies".

The gang focuses mainly on drug trafficking, additionally trafficking guns, gold, petroleum products, alcohol and tobacco.

According to the authorities, criminal affiliates have substantial firearms and officials reported that during the raid, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The state leader of the state, the government representative, described organization participants as "narcoterrorists" and called the law enforcement personnel fatally injured in the action as courageous individuals.

But the number of casualties during the raid has received condemnation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stating they were "appalled".

At a news conference on Wednesday, the state leader supported law enforcement.

"There was no objective to kill anyone. We aimed to take suspects into custody without harm," he said.

He continued that the situation worsened as the individuals fought back: "It was a consequence of the counterattack they implemented and the disproportionate use of force from the gang members."

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

Via a statement on online platforms, he claimed that particular individuals had been stripped of tactical gear which he claimed they wore "to redirect responsibility toward law enforcement".

A law enforcement representative representing security forces also said that "camouflage clothing, vests, and arms" were stripped from the casualties and displayed evidence appearing to show a man stripping military attire {off a corpse