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The photographer

A reporter who documented the consequences of an extensive Brazilian police operation in the Brazilian city has reported how residents brought back mutilated bodies of those who had died.

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

A particular victim had been decapitated - others were "completely mutilated", he reported. Many also had what he described as stab wounds.

In excess of 120 victims lost their lives during the security action on a criminal gang - the bloodiest action in the city.

The eyewitness stated that residents first notified him about the operation in the early hours by local people of the Alemão neighbourhood, who contacted him informing him there was a shoot-out.

The eyewitness traveled to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the victims were arriving.

The eyewitness reported that law enforcement prevented journalists from going into the Penha neighborhood, where the operation were occurring.

"Security forces created a barrier and said: 'The press cannot proceed beyond this point'."

But Itan, who spent his childhood in that neighborhood, stated he was able to gain access past the security perimeter, where he remained until the next morning.

He reported during the night, area inhabitants started looking the mountainous area which divides the Penha neighborhood from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for loved ones who were unaccounted for since the police raid.

Community members living in Penha arranged the recovered bodies in a public space - the documented evidence display the emotions of those present.

"The harsh reality of the situation impacted me a lot: the pain of relatives, women collapsing, pregnant wives, crying, angry family members," the eyewitness remembered.

Bruno Itan

The official of the state declared that the massive police operation with approximately 2,500 law enforcement members was intended to halting an illegal organization called the criminal faction from increasing their control.

At first, local officials stated that sixty alleged criminals plus four law enforcement personnel" lost their lives in the raid.

Authorities later reported that early calculations shows that 117 "suspects" were fatally injured.

Rio's public defender's office, which provides legal assistance to the poor, has calculated the overall count of people killed as 132.

According to researchers, the gang stands as the sole illegal faction that in the past few years has been able to make territorial gains across the region.

It is widely considered one of the two largest gangs nationally, in company with another major gang, featuring a timeline extending half a century.

According to correspondent an expert, who has long reported on illegal operations in Rio extensively, the gang "works as a system" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and becoming "business partners".

The organization engages primarily in illegal drug trade, while also dealing in firearms, gold, energy resources, beverages cigarettes.

According to the authorities, gang members possess significant weaponry and officials reported that throughout the operation, they came under attack using drone-delivered explosives.

The official of the state, the government representative, labeled gang affiliates as drug terrorists and described the security forces who died during the operation as brave public servants.

Nevertheless, the total of people killed in the security action has faced scrutiny from UN human rights officials stating they were "shocked".

During a press briefing on Wednesday, Governor Castro justified security actions.

"We did not plan to kill anyone. We intended to take suspects into custody without harm," he said.

He further explained that the circumstances had escalated because the suspects fought back: "It resulted of the counterattack they implemented and the disproportionate use of force by those criminals."

The state leader further reported that the bodies shown by residents in the neighborhood had been "tampered with".

In a post on online platforms, he said that particular individuals had been taken of the camouflage clothing which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation onto the police".

Felipe Curi of Rio's civil police force further reported that "camouflage clothing, protective equipment, and weapons" were stripped from the victims and displayed evidence seemingly depicting an individual stripping military attire {off a corpse