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Bruno Itan

A photographer who observed the consequences of a massive law enforcement action in the Brazilian city has recounted how residents came back with disfigured remains of those who had died.

The bodies "kept coming: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the photographer described. The total contained law enforcement personnel.

A particular victim had been decapitated - while others appeared "completely mutilated", he explained. Many also had evidence of blade trauma.

Over 120 individuals were killed in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the bloodiest action in the city.

Bruno Itan explained that he was first alerted concerning the action Tuesday morning by local people from the Alemão area, who sent him messages informing him gunfire had erupted.

The reporter traveled to the healthcare center, where the casualties were arriving.

The photographer stated that law enforcement blocked media personnel from entering the operation zone, where the operation were taking place.

"Police officers formed a line and said: 'Media representatives are not allowed to pass'."

However, the photographer, who grew up in that neighborhood, reported he managed to gain access past the security perimeter, where he remained until the next morning.

He described during the night, area inhabitants started looking the mountainous area which divides the Penha neighborhood from the adjacent Alemão area for family members who were unaccounted for following the security action.

Local people of the Penha neighbourhood proceeded to place the recovered bodies in an open area - the documented evidence show the response of the gathered crowd.

"The violence of what occurred impacted me deeply: the grief of the families, women collapsing, women carrying children, crying, angry family members," the eyewitness remembered.

The photographer

The official of Rio state announced that the massive police operation involving around 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at stopping a gang referred to as Comando Vermelho from expanding its territory.

Initially, the Rio state government stated that sixty alleged criminals plus four law enforcement personnel" lost their lives during the action.

Officials subsequently stated that their "preliminary" count indicates that 117 "suspects" lost their lives.

The legal assistance organization, which provides legal assistance to disadvantaged individuals, has calculated the total number of fatalities at 132.

According to researchers, the criminal organization represents the unique criminal entity which in recent years has been able to make territorial gains throughout Rio state.

Experts commonly view among the biggest criminal organizations in Brazil, together with First Capital Command, featuring a timeline extending half a century.

Per Brazilian journalist Rafael Soares, who has long reported on criminal activity in the city over many years, the gang "works as a system" with neighborhood bosses joining the organization and acting as "operational allies".

The criminal group engages primarily in illegal drug trade, additionally trafficking weapons, gold, petroleum products, liquor cigarettes.

According to the authorities, gang members are well armed and officials reported that throughout the operation, they faced assaults via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The state leader of the region, the government representative, characterized Red Command members as "narcoterrorists" and referred to the four police officers fatally injured in the action as brave public servants.

However, the count of casualties in the security action has faced scrutiny from UN human rights officials expressing they felt "horrified".

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

"It wasn't our intention to result in deaths. We intended to detain everyone safely," he stated.

He continued that the situation worsened as the individuals had retaliated: "It occurred of the retaliation they implemented and the excessive violence by the illegal group."

The state leader additionally stated that the victims shown by residents in the area had been "manipulated".

Through a message on online platforms, he said that particular individuals had been removed of tactical gear which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation to security forces".

Felipe Curi representing security forces further reported that tactical gear, protective equipment, and firearms" had been removed from the bodies and showed footage apparently demonstrating a person removing tactical gear {off a corpse