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The eyewitness

A photographer who documented the consequences of an extensive Brazilian police operation in the Brazilian city has described how residents returned with badly injured victims of those who had died.

The victims "continued arriving: the numbers kept rising", the eyewitness stated. Among them were security forces.

One of the bodies was discovered headless - others were "severely damaged", he reported. Numerous victims displayed what appeared to be blade trauma.

Over 120 individuals lost their lives during Tuesday's raid on a criminal gang - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen.

The eyewitness stated that he was first alerted concerning the action Tuesday morning by local people living in Alemão, who sent him messages informing him there was a shoot-out.

The photographer went to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the casualties were coming in.

The eyewitness reported that security forces blocked media personnel from entering the operation zone, where the operation were occurring.

"Security forces established a perimeter and announced: 'Journalists cannot proceed beyond this point'."

But Itan, who grew up in that neighborhood, explained he was able to make his way into the cordoned-off area, where he stayed until the next morning.

He explained during the night, community members began to search the elevated terrain that borders Penha from the adjacent Alemão area for family members whose whereabouts were unknown since the police raid.

Residents living in Penha proceeded to place the recovered bodies in a public space - the documented evidence reveal the response of the gathered crowd.

"The violence of it all affected me a lot: the pain of relatives, parents losing consciousness, women carrying children, crying, angry family members," the reporter recounted.

The photographer

The state leader of the state declared that the large-scale security action deploying about 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at preventing a gang referred to as Red Command from increasing their control.

Originally, local officials maintained that sixty alleged criminals plus four law enforcement personnel" lost their lives during the action.

Officials subsequently stated that their "preliminary" count shows that 117 alleged criminals were fatally injured.

The legal assistance organization, that offers legal help to the poor, has estimated the overall count of casualties as 132.

Based on expert analysis, the criminal organization stands as the sole illegal faction which in recent years has been able to make territorial gains in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is generally regarded as a major illegal faction in Brazil, together with another major gang, with a background extending half a century.

Based on reporter Rafael Soares, who has long reported on illegal operations in Rio for years, the gang "works as a system" with area gang leaders affiliating with the group and serving as "business partners".

The criminal group concentrates largely on illegal drug trade, additionally trafficking firearms, valuable minerals, petroleum products, liquor cigarettes.

According to the authorities, organization members possess significant weaponry and authorities stated that while the action was underway, they encountered resistance using drone-delivered explosives.

The state leader of the state, the government representative, characterized Red Command members as "narcoterrorists" and described the four police officers who died during the operation as "heroes".

However, the count of fatalities in the security action has come in for criticism from UN human rights officials saying it was "horrified".

At a news conference on Wednesday, Governor Castro supported law enforcement.

"It wasn't our intention to result in deaths. We intended to detain everyone safely," he declared.

He continued that the events worsened as the individuals had retaliated: "It resulted of the retaliation they executed and the disproportionate use of force from the gang members."

The state leader additionally stated that the casualties presented by community members in the area had been "manipulated".

In a post through digital channels, he said that particular individuals had been stripped of tactical gear he said they had been wearing "in order to shift blame to security forces".

A police official of Rio's civil police force also said that "camouflage clothing, vests, and arms" were stripped from the bodies and displayed evidence appearing to show a man removing tactical gear {off a corpse