The victims kept arriving - eyewitness describes deadly Rio security action

The photographer

An eyewitness who observed the results of an extensive Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has described how residents returned with disfigured remains of the deceased individuals.

The casualties "kept coming: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the photographer stated. They included law enforcement personnel.

One of the bodies was discovered headless - while others appeared "totally disfigured", he said. Several bodies showed what appeared to be knife injuries.

In excess of 120 victims were killed during the security action on a criminal gang - the bloodiest action in the city.

Bruno Itan explained that he initially learned to the raid Tuesday morning by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who contacted him telling him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The eyewitness went to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the bodies were being brought.

The photographer stated that security forces blocked media personnel from entering the operation zone, where the security measures were taking place.

"Police officers formed a line and declared: 'Media representatives cannot proceed beyond this point'."

However, the photographer, who grew up in that neighborhood, stated he managed to enter into the restricted zone, where he remained through the night.

He explained during the night, community members began to search the hillside which divides the Penha neighborhood from the neighboring Alemão community for family members who were unaccounted for after the operation.

Local people of the Penha neighbourhood arranged the recovered bodies in a square - and Itan's photos show the reaction of the people there.

"The harsh reality of it all affected me a lot: the grief of relatives, women collapsing, women carrying children, crying, angry family members," the reporter recounted.

Bruno Itan

The state leader of the region stated that the massive police operation involving around 2,500 security personnel was intended to preventing a gang referred to as Red Command from increasing their control.

Originally, local officials claimed that sixty alleged criminals and four police officers" had been killed during the action.

Officials subsequently stated that early calculations shows that 117 alleged criminals have been killed.

The public legal service, that gives legal support to the poor, has calculated the overall count of fatalities to be 132.

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

Experts commonly view as a major illegal faction in Brazil, together with a rival criminal group, featuring a timeline extending half a century.

Based on Brazilian journalist an expert, who has been covering criminal activity in the city extensively, Red Command "operates like a franchise" with area gang leaders joining the organization and serving as "commercial associates".

The gang engages primarily in illegal drug trade, while also dealing in guns, valuable minerals, fuel, liquor smoking products.

According to the authorities, organization members have substantial firearms and authorities stated that throughout the operation, they came under attack using drone-delivered explosives.

The governor of Rio state, the political leader, described Red Command members as "narcoterrorists" and referred to the law enforcement personnel killed in the raid as brave public servants.

Nevertheless, the total of people killed in the operation has received condemnation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stating they were "appalled".

At a news conference on Wednesday, Governor Castro defended the police force.

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

He continued that the events had escalated as the individuals had retaliated: "It was a consequence of the retaliation they carried out and the overwhelming response from the gang members."

The state leader additionally stated that the bodies presented by community members in Penha were "altered".

In a post through digital channels, he claimed that certain victims had been taken of the camouflage clothing which he claimed they wore "to redirect responsibility to security forces".

A law enforcement representative representing security forces further reported that "camouflage clothing, body armor, and firearms" were stripped from the casualties and presented video seemingly depicting a man removing tactical gear {off a corpse