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Bruno Itan

An eyewitness who documented the aftermath of a massive security raid in Rio de Janeiro has recounted how community members returned with mutilated bodies of people who lost their lives.

The casualties "kept coming: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the photographer stated. The total contained those of police officers.

One individual was discovered headless - additional victims were "completely mutilated", he said. Several bodies showed what he described as stab wounds.

More than 120 people were killed during the security action targeting an illegal organization - the most lethal operation the municipality has seen.

The photographer explained that he initially learned to the raid Tuesday morning by residents living in Alemão, who contacted him alerting him there was a shoot-out.

The reporter made his way to the healthcare center, where the casualties were being brought.

Itan explained that law enforcement prevented journalists from entering the operation zone, where the police action was under way.

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

But Itan, who grew up in the area, stated he was able to gain access into the restricted zone, where he remained until the next morning.

He described that Tuesday night, local residents began to search the mountainous area that separates Penha from the neighboring Alemão community for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown after the operation.

Residents of the Penha neighbourhood arranged the located casualties in an open area - and Itan's photos show the reaction of the gathered crowd.

"The harsh reality of it all shook me profoundly: the sorrow of loved ones, parents losing consciousness, women carrying children, sobbing, outraged parents," the reporter recounted.

The photographer

The governor of the state announced that the massive police operation with approximately 2,500 law enforcement members was designed to halting an illegal organization referred to as Comando Vermelho from growing their influence.

Initially, the Rio state government stated that sixty alleged criminals and four police officers" were fatally injured during the action.

Authorities later reported that their "preliminary" count shows that 117 "suspects" have been killed.

Rio's public defender's office, that offers legal help to low-income residents, has put the total number of casualties at 132.

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

It is generally regarded among the biggest criminal organizations in the country, alongside another major gang, and has a history dating back more than 50 years.

According to reporter Rafael Soares, who has been covering illegal operations in Rio for years, the gang "operates like a franchise" with neighborhood bosses forming part of the gang and acting as "commercial associates".

The gang focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, but also smuggles firearms, gold, petroleum products, liquor cigarettes.

Per law enforcement statements, organization members are well armed and police said that throughout the operation, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The official of the region, Cláudio Castro, characterized organization participants as criminal extremists and called the four police officers killed in the raid as brave public servants.

But the number of casualties during the raid has come in for criticism from UN human rights officials saying it was "shocked".

In a media appearance the next day, the official supported law enforcement.

"There was no objective to cause fatalities. We wanted to arrest them all alive," he said.

He continued that the events intensified as the individuals resisted aggressively: "It occurred of the counterattack they implemented and the excessive violence by those criminals."

The governor also said that the victims displayed by locals in Penha were "altered".

Through a message through digital channels, he claimed that particular individuals had been taken of the camouflage clothing which he claimed they wore "in order to shift blame onto the police".

A police official from the police department additionally stated that tactical gear, vests, and arms" were stripped from the casualties and showed footage appearing to show a person cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse