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The eyewitness

A photographer who witnessed the consequences of a large-scale security raid in the Brazilian city has recounted how local people came back with badly injured victims of the deceased individuals.

The casualties "continued arriving: the count kept increasing", the eyewitness reported. Among them were security forces.

One individual had been decapitated - others were "totally disfigured", he explained. Numerous victims displayed evidence of stab wounds.

Over 120 individuals lost their lives in the Tuesday operation on a criminal gang - the deadliest such raid Rio has experienced.

Bruno Itan reported that he was first alerted concerning the action Tuesday morning by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who reached out telling him gunfire had erupted.

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

The eyewitness reported that security forces prevented journalists from going into the Penha neighborhood, where the operation was under way.

"Law enforcement personnel established a perimeter and declared: 'The press cannot proceed beyond this point'."

However, the photographer, who grew up in that neighborhood, explained he was able to gain access into the cordoned-off area, where he continued until the next morning.

He described that evening, area inhabitants began to search the hillside that borders the Penha neighborhood from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for family members who were unaccounted for since the police raid.

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

"The brutality of what occurred shook me deeply: the sorrow of the families, mothers fainting, pregnant wives, weeping, outraged parents," the eyewitness remembered.

Bruno Itan

The state leader of the state declared that the large-scale security action involving around 2,500 security personnel was intended to stopping an illegal organization known as Red Command from growing their influence.

Initially, the Rio state government maintained that "60 suspects plus four law enforcement personnel" had been killed in the raid.

Authorities later reported that their "preliminary" count indicates that 117 individuals have been killed.

Rio's public defender's office, which provides legal assistance to low-income residents, has put the total number of casualties as 132.

According to researchers, the gang represents the unique criminal entity which in recent years has succeeded to increase its control throughout Rio state.

It is generally regarded as a major illegal faction in Brazil, alongside another major gang, with a background extending half a century.

According to Brazilian journalist Rafael Soares, who has been covering crime in Rio over many years, the criminal organization "works as a system" with neighborhood bosses joining the organization and becoming "business partners".

The criminal group concentrates largely on drug trafficking, while also dealing in weapons, precious metals, petroleum products, liquor and tobacco.

According to the authorities, criminal affiliates have substantial firearms and police said that while the action was underway, they came under attack using drone-delivered explosives.

The governor of the region, Cláudio Castro, characterized gang affiliates as drug terrorists and described the four police officers who died during the operation as "heroes".

Nevertheless, the total of people killed in the operation has received condemnation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights saying it was "appalled".

At a news conference the next day, the official defended the police force.

"We did not plan to kill anyone. We aimed to detain everyone safely," he stated.

He further explained that the circumstances worsened as the individuals had retaliated: "It was a consequence of the resistance they carried out and the overwhelming response from the gang members."

The governor additionally stated that the casualties shown by residents in the area were "altered".

In a post through digital channels, he asserted that some of them had been stripped of tactical gear he said they had been wearing "to transfer accusation to security forces".

A law enforcement representative from the police department further reported that "camouflage clothing, vests, and arms" were stripped from the victims and showed footage seemingly depicting a person removing tactical gear {off a corpse