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Bruno Itan

A photographer who witnessed the consequences of a large-scale Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has recounted how residents came back with mutilated bodies of those who had died.

The bodies "kept piling up: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the photographer described. They included law enforcement personnel.

A particular victim was found without a head - others were "severely damaged", he reported. Numerous victims displayed what he described as blade trauma.

In excess of 120 victims lost their lives during Tuesday's raid against a criminal group - the most lethal operation Rio has experienced.

The photographer explained that he initially learned concerning the action in the early hours by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who reached out telling him there was a shoot-out.

The reporter went to a local medical facility, where the casualties were coming in.

The eyewitness reported that law enforcement blocked media personnel from going into the operation zone, where the security measures were taking place.

"Police officers formed a line and declared: 'Media representatives doesn't get past here'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who grew up in the area, reported he managed to make his way into the cordoned-off area, where he stayed until dawn.

He explained that Tuesday night, community members began to search the hillside that separates the Penha neighborhood from the neighboring Alemão community for loved ones who had been missing since the police raid.

Residents of the Penha neighbourhood arranged the recovered bodies in a square - the photographer's images show the emotions of the gathered crowd.

"The brutality of what occurred impacted me profoundly: the sorrow of relatives, mothers fainting, women carrying children, crying, furious relatives," the photographer recalled.

The photographer

The governor of the region stated that the massive police operation with approximately 2,500 officers was designed to preventing a criminal group referred to as the criminal faction from increasing their control.

Initially, the Rio state government claimed that sixty individuals and four police officers" lost their lives in the operation.

Authorities later reported that their "preliminary" count indicates that 117 "suspects" have been killed.

The legal assistance organization, which provides legal assistance to low-income residents, has estimated the final tally of fatalities at 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization is the only criminal group which in recent years has succeeded to increase its control throughout Rio state.

It is generally regarded as a major illegal faction nationally, alongside another major gang, featuring a timeline dating back more than 50 years.

Per correspondent Rafael Soares, who has long reported on illegal operations in Rio over many years, the gang "operates like a franchise" with local criminal leaders joining the organization and becoming "commercial associates".

The criminal group concentrates largely on illegal drug trade, but also smuggles guns, valuable minerals, petroleum products, beverages and tobacco.

Based on official reports, organization members possess significant weaponry and police said that during the raid, they encountered resistance from explosive-laden drones.

The state leader of Rio state, the government representative, described Red Command members as criminal extremists and described the four police officers fatally injured in the action as courageous individuals.

Nevertheless, the total of people killed in the security action has come in for criticism from international human rights authorities stating they were "shocked".

At a news conference the following day, Governor Castro supported law enforcement.

"There was no objective to cause fatalities. We aimed to take suspects into custody without harm," he stated.

He added that the situation intensified due to the alleged criminals fought back: "It was a consequence of the resistance they implemented and the disproportionate use of force by the illegal group."

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

Through a message through digital channels, he claimed that certain victims had been stripped of tactical gear he said they had been wearing "in order to shift blame toward law enforcement".

Felipe Curi of Rio's civil police force additionally stated that "camouflage clothing, vests, and firearms" had been removed from the victims and displayed evidence seemingly depicting a man stripping military attire {off a corpse