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The photographer

A reporter who witnessed the results of an extensive law enforcement action in Rio de Janeiro has recounted how local people came back with disfigured remains of those who had died.

The casualties "kept piling up: the numbers kept rising", the eyewitness described. The total contained those of police officers.

One individual was discovered headless - while others appeared "totally disfigured", he said. Several bodies showed what appeared to be blade trauma.

More than 120 people lost their lives in the Tuesday operation on a criminal gang - the most lethal operation in the city.

The eyewitness explained that he was first alerted about the operation in the early hours by residents of the Alemão neighbourhood, who reached out alerting him there was a shoot-out.

The photographer went to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the victims were being brought.

The eyewitness reported that law enforcement blocked media personnel from accessing the Penha neighborhood, where the police action were taking place.

"Police officers established a perimeter and said: 'Media representatives doesn't get past here'."

However, the photographer, who was raised in the area, stated he succeeded to make his way into the cordoned-off area, where he continued until the next morning.

He explained during the night, local residents commenced searching the mountainous area which divides Penha from the neighboring Alemão community for loved ones whose whereabouts were unknown after the operation.

Local people living in Penha arranged the located casualties in a square - and Itan's photos reveal the reaction of the gathered crowd.

"The brutality of what occurred shook me a lot: the grief of loved ones, parents losing consciousness, pregnant wives, crying, outraged parents," the photographer recalled.

The eyewitness

The official of the state declared that the large-scale security action with approximately 2,500 officers was designed to preventing a gang called Red Command from growing their influence.

Originally, state authorities claimed that "60 suspects plus four law enforcement personnel" had been killed during the action.

They have since said that their "preliminary" count indicates that 117 alleged criminals lost their lives.

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

Based on expert analysis, the criminal organization is the only criminal group that in the past few years has managed to increase its control throughout Rio state.

It is widely considered among the biggest criminal organizations in Brazil, together with another major gang, featuring a timeline extending half a century.

Based on reporter a specialist, with extensive experience documenting illegal operations in Rio for years, the criminal organization "works as a system" with neighborhood bosses joining the organization and acting as "business partners".

The gang focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, but also smuggles firearms, precious metals, fuel, alcohol smoking products.

According to the authorities, organization members possess significant weaponry and police said that while the action was underway, they faced assaults via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The governor of the region, Cláudio Castro, described gang affiliates as drug terrorists and called the security forces fatally injured in the action as courageous individuals.

But the number of fatalities in the security action has received condemnation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressing they felt "horrified".

During a press briefing on Wednesday, the official justified security actions.

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

He further explained that the circumstances worsened as the individuals had retaliated: "It was a consequence of the counterattack they implemented and the excessive violence from the gang members."

The governor also said that the casualties presented by community members in the neighborhood had been "manipulated".

Via a statement on online platforms, he claimed that particular individuals had been stripped of tactical gear he said they had been wearing "to redirect responsibility toward law enforcement".

Felipe Curi of Rio's civil police force also said that "camouflage clothing, body armor, and weapons" were stripped from the victims and displayed evidence apparently demonstrating an individual removing tactical gear {off a corpse