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The eyewitness

A reporter who witnessed the consequences of a massive law enforcement action in Rio de Janeiro has described how community members came back with disfigured remains of people who lost their lives.

The bodies "continued arriving: the count kept increasing", the eyewitness described. Among them were security forces.

One of the bodies was discovered headless - while others appeared "severely damaged", he reported. Many also had what appeared to be knife injuries.

Over 120 individuals were killed in the Tuesday operation against a criminal group - the most lethal operation the municipality has seen.

The eyewitness reported that he initially learned concerning the action Tuesday morning by residents from the Alemão area, who sent him messages informing him there was a shoot-out.

The photographer went to a local medical facility, where the casualties were being brought.

The eyewitness reported that security forces blocked media personnel from accessing the Penha neighborhood, where the operation were taking place.

"Security forces created a barrier and said: 'The press doesn't get past here'."

But Itan, who was raised in the area, reported he was able to make his way into the cordoned-off area, where he remained until dawn.

He reported that Tuesday night, area inhabitants started looking the elevated terrain that borders the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for loved ones who had been missing following the security action.

Community members from the Penha area proceeded to place the located casualties in a square - the documented evidence reveal the emotions of those present.

"The brutality of the situation affected me a lot: the pain of loved ones, mothers fainting, expectant spouses, crying, outraged parents," the eyewitness remembered.

The eyewitness

The governor of the region stated that the extensive law enforcement effort with approximately 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at halting an illegal organization referred to as Comando Vermelho from growing their influence.

Initially, state authorities claimed that "60 suspects along with four officers" had been killed during the action.

Officials subsequently stated that early calculations suggests that 117 alleged criminals have been killed.

The legal assistance organization, that offers legal help to low-income residents, has put the total number of fatalities to be 132.

According to researchers, the gang stands as the sole illegal faction that in the past few years has succeeded to make territorial gains throughout Rio state.

It is generally regarded as a major illegal faction in Brazil, in company with a rival criminal group, and has a history spanning over five decades.

Based on Brazilian journalist a specialist, who has long reported on illegal operations in Rio for years, the gang "works as a system" with neighborhood bosses forming part of the gang and acting as "operational allies".

The organization concentrates largely on drug trafficking, additionally trafficking weapons, valuable minerals, petroleum products, beverages cigarettes.

According to the authorities, criminal affiliates are well armed and authorities stated that during the raid, they encountered resistance using drone-delivered explosives.

The governor of Rio state, Cláudio Castro, labeled Red Command members as "narcoterrorists" and described the security forces fatally injured in the action as "heroes".

However, the count of fatalities during the raid has come in for criticism with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressing they felt "shocked".

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

"We did not plan to result in deaths. We aimed to take suspects into custody without harm," he stated.

He added that the situation had escalated as the individuals had retaliated: "It occurred of the counterattack they carried out and the overwhelming response by those criminals."

The official further reported that the casualties presented by community members in the area had been "tampered with".

Through a message on social media, he claimed that some of them had been removed of military-style attire that he stated they possessed "in order to shift blame to security forces".

A police official of Rio's civil police force further reported that military attire, vests, and firearms" had been removed from the victims and showed footage appearing to show an individual removing tactical gear {off a corpse