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The photographer

An eyewitness who witnessed the results of an extensive law enforcement action in the metropolitan area has reported how residents came back with mutilated bodies of people who lost their lives.

The casualties "kept coming: the count kept increasing", the photographer described. They included law enforcement personnel.

One of the bodies had been decapitated - while others appeared "totally disfigured", he said. Numerous victims displayed what he described as blade trauma.

In excess of 120 victims were fatally injured during the security action against a criminal group - the most lethal operation in the city.

The photographer stated that he initially learned concerning the action early on Tuesday by residents living in Alemão, who reached out informing him gunfire had erupted.

The photographer made his way to the healthcare center, where the victims were coming in.

Itan explained that law enforcement prevented journalists from accessing the affected area, where the security measures were occurring.

"Law enforcement personnel established a perimeter and declared: 'Media representatives doesn't get past here'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who grew up in that neighborhood, stated he managed to enter past the security perimeter, where he continued through the night.

He reported that evening, community members began to search the elevated terrain that separates Penha from the neighboring Alemão community for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown after the operation.

Residents from the Penha area arranged the discovered victims in a public space - the photographer's images reveal the response of the people there.

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

The photographer

The official of the state stated that the large-scale security action involving around 2,500 law enforcement members was intended to preventing a criminal group known as the criminal faction from expanding its territory.

Initially, state authorities maintained that sixty individuals plus four law enforcement personnel" lost their lives in the raid.

They have since said that early calculations suggests that 117 alleged criminals were fatally injured.

Rio's public defender's office, that offers legal help to disadvantaged individuals, has put the total number of casualties as 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization represents the unique criminal entity which in recent years has succeeded to make territorial gains in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Experts commonly view as a major illegal faction in the country, together with another major gang, featuring a timeline extending half a century.

Per Brazilian journalist Rafael Soares, with extensive experience documenting crime in Rio for years, Red Command "functions as a network" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and becoming "business partners".

The criminal group engages primarily in illegal drug trade, additionally trafficking weapons, precious metals, energy resources, alcohol smoking products.

Based on official reports, gang members are well armed and officials reported that while the action was underway, they faced assaults from explosive-laden drones.

The official of the region, the government representative, labeled Red Command members as criminal extremists and referred to the law enforcement personnel fatally injured in the action as brave public servants.

But the number of fatalities in the security action has faced scrutiny with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressing they felt "shocked".

In a media appearance the next day, the state leader justified security actions.

"There was no objective to kill anyone. We aimed to detain everyone safely," he said.

He further explained that the circumstances had escalated as the individuals had retaliated: "It was a consequence of the counterattack they implemented and the excessive violence by the illegal group."

The state leader also said that the casualties presented by community members in Penha had been "manipulated".

Through a message on social media, he said that certain victims had been removed of the camouflage clothing which he claimed they wore "to redirect responsibility onto the police".

Felipe Curi representing security forces additionally stated that tactical gear, vests, and arms" were stripped from the bodies and displayed evidence appearing to show a person cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse