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The eyewitness

An eyewitness who witnessed the consequences of a large-scale security raid in Rio de Janeiro has recounted how local people brought back badly injured victims of those who had died.

The bodies "kept coming: the count kept increasing", the photographer described. The total contained law enforcement personnel.

One individual was found without a head - while others appeared "severely damaged", he explained. Several bodies showed what he described as blade trauma.

In excess of 120 victims were fatally injured during the security action targeting an illegal organization - the most lethal operation Rio has experienced.

Bruno Itan reported that residents first notified him to the raid in the early hours by residents from the Alemão area, who reached out alerting him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The reporter traveled to a local medical facility, where the victims were being brought.

Itan explained that security forces blocked media personnel from going into the Penha neighborhood, where the security measures was under way.

"Police officers established a perimeter and declared: 'The press cannot proceed beyond this point'."

But Itan, who grew up in the area, explained he succeeded to gain access past the security perimeter, where he remained through the night.

He described during the night, local residents commenced searching the hillside which divides the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for loved ones who had been missing after the operation.

Local people from the Penha area arranged the discovered victims in an open area - the documented evidence show the response of the people there.

"The brutality of it all impacted me a lot: the grief of the families, women collapsing, pregnant wives, weeping, furious relatives," the reporter recounted.

Bruno Itan

The official of the region stated that the extensive law enforcement effort involving around 2,500 law enforcement members was intended to stopping a gang referred to as Red Command from increasing their control.

Initially, local officials maintained that "60 suspects plus four law enforcement personnel" lost their lives during the action.

Authorities later reported that early calculations indicates that 117 individuals have been killed.

The public legal service, that offers legal help to low-income residents, has estimated the total number of fatalities to be 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization stands as the sole illegal faction which in recent years has managed to make territorial gains in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Experts commonly view among the biggest criminal organizations nationally, together with another major gang, featuring a timeline dating back more than 50 years.

According to Brazilian journalist Rafael Soares, who has been covering illegal operations in Rio over many years, Red Command "works as a system" with local criminal leaders joining the organization and becoming "commercial associates".

The gang focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, additionally trafficking guns, gold, energy resources, alcohol smoking products.

According to the authorities, criminal affiliates are well armed and officials reported that throughout the operation, they faced assaults from explosive-laden drones.

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

However, the count of fatalities during the raid has come in for criticism from international human rights authorities stating they were "horrified".

At a news conference the next day, the state leader supported law enforcement.

"There was no objective to result in deaths. We intended to detain everyone safely," he stated.

He further explained that the circumstances had escalated due to the alleged criminals had retaliated: "It occurred of the retaliation they carried out and the disproportionate use of force by those criminals."

The governor additionally stated that the casualties presented by community members in Penha had been "tampered with".

In a post on online platforms, he claimed that certain victims had been removed of military-style attire that he stated they possessed "to transfer accusation to security forces".

Felipe Curi representing security forces additionally stated that military attire, protective equipment, and firearms" were taken away from the casualties and presented video appearing to show an individual removing tactical gear {off a corpse