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The eyewitness

A photographer who observed the aftermath of a large-scale Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has reported how community members brought back disfigured remains of those who had died.

The victims "kept piling up: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", Bruno Itan stated. The total contained law enforcement personnel.

One individual had been decapitated - additional victims were "severely damaged", he said. Many also had what he described as knife injuries.

Over 120 individuals were killed during the security action on a criminal gang - the bloodiest action Rio has experienced.

The eyewitness explained that residents first notified him to the raid early on Tuesday by local people of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages alerting him there was a shoot-out.

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

The photographer stated that security forces stopped members of the press from accessing the operation zone, where the security measures were taking place.

"Security forces formed a line and declared: 'Journalists doesn't get past here'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who spent his childhood in the area, stated he was able to enter into the restricted zone, where he remained until dawn.

He explained that Tuesday night, community members started looking the hillside that borders the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for relatives who had been missing since the police raid.

Residents of the Penha neighbourhood arranged the located casualties in a public space - the photographer's images display the reaction of the people there.

"The brutality of what occurred shook me deeply: the grief of the families, parents losing consciousness, women carrying children, sobbing, furious relatives," the reporter recounted.

Bruno Itan

The governor of the state stated that the large-scale security action deploying about 2,500 law enforcement members was intended to preventing an illegal organization known as the criminal faction from growing their influence.

Initially, the Rio state government maintained that "60 suspects and four police officers" lost their lives in the operation.

They have since said that their "preliminary" count shows that 117 alleged criminals lost their lives.

The legal assistance organization, which provides legal assistance to the poor, has put the final tally of people killed as 132.

According to researchers, the criminal organization stands as the sole illegal faction that in the past few years has succeeded to make territorial gains across the region.

It is generally regarded among the biggest criminal organizations nationally, together with another major gang, with a background extending half a century.

According to Brazilian journalist a specialist, who has been covering criminal activity in the city extensively, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with local criminal leaders joining the organization and serving as "operational allies".

The criminal group concentrates largely on drug trafficking, additionally trafficking firearms, valuable minerals, energy resources, alcohol and tobacco.

Per law enforcement statements, criminal affiliates have substantial firearms and police said that during the raid, they encountered resistance from explosive-laden drones.

The official of the region, Cláudio Castro, labeled organization participants as criminal extremists and called the law enforcement personnel fatally injured in the action as "heroes".

Nevertheless, the total of fatalities in the operation has received condemnation from international human rights authorities stating they were "horrified".

In a media appearance the following day, Governor Castro supported law enforcement.

"It wasn't our intention to cause fatalities. We wanted to take suspects into custody without harm," he stated.

He continued that the events worsened because the suspects fought back: "It occurred of the resistance they implemented and the disproportionate use of force by those criminals."

The official also said that the victims displayed by locals in the neighborhood had been "tampered with".

Through a message on social media, he claimed that certain victims had been stripped of the camouflage clothing he said they had been wearing "in order to shift blame onto the police".

A law enforcement representative representing security forces also said that "camouflage clothing, body armor, and firearms" were taken away from the casualties and displayed evidence appearing to show an individual removing tactical gear {off a corpse