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The photographer

A photographer who observed the aftermath of an extensive law enforcement action in the Brazilian city has described how local people returned with badly injured victims of those who had died.

The casualties "kept coming: the count kept increasing", the eyewitness stated. They included security forces.

A particular victim was found without a head - while others appeared "severely damaged", he explained. Many also had evidence of knife injuries.

Over 120 individuals were killed in the Tuesday operation on a criminal gang - the most lethal operation the municipality has seen.

The photographer explained that residents first notified him to the raid early on Tuesday by residents from the Alemão area, who contacted him telling him gunfire had erupted.

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

The photographer stated that security forces stopped members of the press from entering the affected area, where the operation was under way.

"Security forces formed a line and announced: 'Media representatives doesn't get past here'."

However, the photographer, who grew up in the area, stated he succeeded to make his way into the cordoned-off area, where he continued until dawn.

He reported during the night, local residents began to search the hillside which divides the Penha neighborhood from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for loved ones who had been missing following the security action.

Community members from the Penha area arranged the discovered victims in a square - the documented evidence reveal the reaction of those present.

"The harsh reality of what occurred affected me profoundly: the pain of relatives, parents losing consciousness, pregnant wives, crying, furious relatives," the reporter recounted.

The eyewitness

The official of the state stated that the large-scale security action involving around 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at preventing a criminal group known as Comando Vermelho from growing their influence.

Originally, local officials claimed that sixty alleged criminals along with four officers" were fatally injured in the operation.

Officials subsequently stated that early calculations suggests that 117 individuals have been killed.

The public legal service, that offers legal help to low-income residents, has calculated the final tally of casualties to be 132.

According to researchers, Red Command represents the unique criminal entity that recently has managed to expand its territory in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is widely considered among the biggest criminal organizations in the country, in company with another major gang, with a background extending half a century.

Based on correspondent an expert, who has been covering crime in Rio for years, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with area gang leaders forming part of the gang and serving as "operational allies".

The gang engages primarily in illegal drug trade, additionally trafficking guns, gold, petroleum products, alcohol and tobacco.

Based on official reports, organization members are well armed and officials reported that during the raid, they came under attack via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The official of the region, Cláudio Castro, labeled Red Command members as "narcoterrorists" and called the law enforcement personnel killed in the raid as "heroes".

Nevertheless, the total of fatalities in the security action has faced scrutiny with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressing they felt "appalled".

During a press briefing the following day, the state leader supported law enforcement.

"We did not plan to result in deaths. We intended to detain everyone safely," he stated.

He continued that the situation worsened due to the alleged criminals resisted aggressively: "It occurred of the counterattack they carried out and the excessive violence from the gang members."

The state leader further reported that the casualties displayed by locals in the area had been "tampered with".

In a post on social media, he claimed that some of them had been stripped of military-style attire which he claimed they wore "in order to shift blame toward law enforcement".

A law enforcement representative from the police department further reported that military attire, vests, and arms" had been removed from the bodies and showed footage apparently demonstrating a person cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse