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The eyewitness

A photographer who witnessed the consequences of a massive security raid in the metropolitan area has reported how residents returned with badly injured victims of people who lost their lives.

The casualties "continued arriving: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the eyewitness described. Among them were security forces.

One individual was found without a head - while others appeared "completely mutilated", he explained. Several bodies showed evidence of stab wounds.

More than 120 people were fatally injured during the security action against a criminal group - the most lethal operation the municipality has seen.

The eyewitness stated that he was first alerted to the raid Tuesday morning by local people living in Alemão, who reached out alerting him an armed confrontation was occurring.

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

Itan explained that security forces blocked media personnel from entering the operation zone, where the police action was under way.

"Security forces created a barrier and announced: 'Media representatives doesn't get past here'."

However, the photographer, who grew up in the area, explained he managed to gain access into the restricted zone, where he continued until the next morning.

He reported during the night, area inhabitants began to search the hillside that separates the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for loved ones whose whereabouts were unknown since the police raid.

Community members of the Penha neighbourhood organized the discovered victims in a square - and Itan's photos show the emotions of the people there.

"The violence of what occurred affected me profoundly: the grief of relatives, mothers fainting, expectant spouses, crying, outraged parents," the eyewitness remembered.

Bruno Itan

The state leader of the region announced that the massive police operation involving around 2,500 officers was designed to halting a gang referred to as Comando Vermelho from expanding its territory.

Originally, local officials claimed that "60 suspects plus four law enforcement personnel" had been killed in the raid.

They have since said that initial estimates shows that 117 "suspects" were fatally injured.

Rio's public defender's office, which provides legal assistance to disadvantaged individuals, has put the total number of casualties at 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization is the only criminal group that in the past few years has been able to expand its territory across the region.

It is widely considered among the biggest criminal organizations in Brazil, alongside a rival criminal group, and has a history extending half a century.

Based on correspondent a specialist, who has long reported on crime in Rio for years, the gang "functions as a network" with area gang leaders joining the organization and acting as "business partners".

The criminal group concentrates largely on narcotics distribution, additionally trafficking firearms, precious metals, petroleum products, liquor smoking products.

Based on official reports, gang members possess significant weaponry and officials reported that during the raid, they faced assaults using drone-delivered explosives.

The governor of the state, the government representative, characterized organization participants as "narcoterrorists" and referred to the law enforcement personnel who died during the operation as "heroes".

Nevertheless, the total of people killed during the raid has faced scrutiny from international human rights authorities stating they were "shocked".

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

"There was no objective to cause fatalities. We intended to take suspects into custody without harm," he said.

He continued that the circumstances intensified as the individuals fought back: "It occurred of the counterattack they carried out and the disproportionate use of force by the illegal group."

The state leader additionally stated that the victims displayed by locals in Penha were "altered".

In a post through digital channels, he claimed that certain victims had been stripped of tactical gear that he stated they possessed "in order to shift blame onto the police".

Felipe Curi of Rio's civil police force also said that "camouflage clothing, body armor, and weapons" were taken away from the bodies and presented video seemingly depicting an individual removing tactical gear {off a corpse