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The eyewitness

A reporter who witnessed the results of an extensive security raid in the metropolitan area has recounted how community members returned with disfigured remains of those who had died.

The victims "kept coming: the numbers kept rising", Bruno Itan reported. Among them were security forces.

One individual was discovered headless - additional victims were "totally disfigured", he reported. Numerous victims displayed what he described as stab wounds.

In excess of 120 victims were killed during Tuesday's raid targeting an illegal organization - the most lethal operation Rio has experienced.

Bruno Itan stated that residents first notified him concerning the action early on Tuesday by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages informing him gunfire had erupted.

The reporter went to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the victims were arriving.

Itan explained that the police blocked media personnel from accessing the Penha neighborhood, where the security measures was under way.

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

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who grew up in the community, stated he managed to enter into the cordoned-off area, where he continued through the night.

He explained during the night, community members started looking the mountainous area that separates Penha from the neighboring Alemão community for family members who were unaccounted for following the security action.

Residents of the Penha neighbourhood organized the located casualties in a square - and Itan's photos show the emotions of the people there.

"The brutality of what occurred shook me a lot: the pain of relatives, parents losing consciousness, women carrying children, crying, angry family members," the eyewitness remembered.

Bruno Itan

The governor of the region stated that the massive police operation deploying about 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at stopping a criminal group called the criminal faction from growing their influence.

Originally, local officials maintained that sixty alleged criminals along with four officers" were fatally injured during the action.

Officials subsequently stated that initial estimates indicates that 117 "suspects" were fatally injured.

The public legal service, that offers legal help to disadvantaged individuals, has put the total number of people killed to be 132.

Based on expert analysis, the criminal organization is the only criminal group that recently has succeeded to increase its control across the region.

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

Based on correspondent a specialist, with extensive experience documenting criminal activity in the city over many years, the criminal organization "functions as a network" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and serving as "operational allies".

The criminal group focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, additionally trafficking guns, valuable minerals, petroleum products, liquor and tobacco.

According to the authorities, organization members possess significant weaponry and police said that during the raid, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The official of the state, Cláudio Castro, characterized Red Command members as criminal extremists 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 come in for criticism from international human rights authorities expressing they felt "appalled".

In a media appearance on Wednesday, the official defended the police force.

"It wasn't our intention to result in deaths. We wanted to arrest them all alive," he said.

He added that the events worsened as the individuals fought back: "It resulted of the counterattack they executed and the overwhelming response by the illegal group."

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

Via a statement on online platforms, he asserted that certain victims had been stripped of the camouflage clothing he said they had been wearing "in order to shift blame toward law enforcement".

Felipe Curi representing security forces additionally stated that "camouflage clothing, body armor, and weapons" had been removed from the casualties and displayed evidence appearing to show an individual removing tactical gear {off a corpse