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Bruno Itan

A reporter who observed the consequences of a large-scale Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has described how residents came back with disfigured remains of those who had died.

The casualties "continued arriving: the numbers kept rising", the eyewitness reported. The total contained those of police officers.

A particular victim was discovered headless - others were "completely mutilated", he said. Numerous victims displayed what appeared to be stab wounds.

In excess of 120 victims were killed in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the most lethal operation in the city.

The photographer stated that he was first alerted to the raid Tuesday morning by local people living in Alemão, who contacted him telling him there was a shoot-out.

The reporter made his way to the healthcare center, where the bodies were coming in.

The photographer stated that law enforcement blocked media personnel from accessing the Penha neighborhood, where the police action were occurring.

"Law enforcement personnel established a perimeter and said: 'The press are not allowed to pass'."

But Itan, who grew up in that neighborhood, reported he was able to make his way into the restricted zone, where he remained until the next morning.

He described during the night, local residents commenced searching the mountainous area that borders the Penha neighborhood from the neighboring Alemão community for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown after the operation.

Community members from the Penha area proceeded to place the discovered victims in a square - and Itan's photos display the response of the gathered crowd.

"The harsh reality of the situation impacted me a lot: the pain of loved ones, parents losing consciousness, women carrying children, sobbing, outraged parents," the eyewitness remembered.

The eyewitness

The governor of the state announced that the massive police operation deploying about 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at halting a criminal group known as Comando Vermelho from increasing their control.

Originally, state authorities stated that "60 suspects plus four law enforcement personnel" had been killed in the operation.

Officials subsequently stated that initial estimates indicates that 117 alleged criminals were fatally injured.

Rio's public defender's office, which provides legal assistance to disadvantaged individuals, has estimated the final tally of casualties as 132.

Based on expert analysis, the gang stands as the sole illegal faction that in the past few years has succeeded to expand its territory in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Experts commonly view among the biggest criminal organizations in the country, alongside First Capital Command, with a background spanning over five decades.

According to reporter an expert, who has been covering illegal operations in Rio extensively, the gang "works as a system" with area gang leaders affiliating with the group and serving as "operational allies".

The criminal group focuses mainly on drug trafficking, while also dealing in weapons, precious metals, fuel, liquor cigarettes.

Based on official reports, organization members possess significant weaponry and authorities stated that during the raid, they encountered resistance using drone-delivered explosives.

The governor of the state, Cláudio Castro, characterized Red Command members as "narcoterrorists" and referred to the law enforcement personnel who died during the operation as "heroes".

However, the count of fatalities during the raid has faced scrutiny from international human rights authorities expressing they felt "horrified".

During a press briefing the following day, Governor Castro justified security actions.

"We did not plan to cause fatalities. We aimed to detain everyone safely," he said.

He added that the circumstances had escalated due to the alleged criminals resisted aggressively: "It occurred of the counterattack they implemented and the overwhelming response by the illegal group."

The governor further reported that the casualties presented by community members in Penha were "altered".

Via a statement on social media, he said that some of them had been stripped of military-style attire he said they had been wearing "in order to shift blame toward law enforcement".

A law enforcement representative of Rio's civil police force additionally stated that military attire, protective equipment, and weapons" were taken away from the bodies and showed footage apparently demonstrating a person stripping military attire {off a corpse