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The eyewitness

An eyewitness who witnessed the aftermath of an extensive security raid in the Brazilian city has described how residents came back with disfigured remains of the deceased individuals.

The victims "continued arriving: the count kept increasing", the photographer stated. The total contained those of police officers.

A particular victim had been decapitated - additional victims were "severely damaged", he explained. Many also had evidence of blade trauma.

In excess of 120 victims were fatally injured in the Tuesday operation against a criminal group - the deadliest such raid Rio has experienced.

The eyewitness explained that he was first alerted concerning the action early on Tuesday by community members living in Alemão, who sent him messages alerting him there was a shoot-out.

The photographer 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 Penha neighborhood, where the security measures were occurring.

"Security forces established a perimeter and said: 'Media representatives are not allowed to pass'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who grew up in the area, explained he succeeded to enter into the cordoned-off area, where he continued until the next morning.

He reported during the night, area inhabitants commenced searching the elevated terrain that separates Penha from the adjacent Alemão area for loved ones whose whereabouts were unknown following the security action.

Residents living in Penha arranged the located casualties in an open area - the documented evidence show the reaction of those present.

"The harsh reality of what occurred shook me a lot: the pain of relatives, women collapsing, women carrying children, sobbing, angry family members," the reporter recounted.

The photographer

The official of Rio state stated that the extensive law enforcement effort deploying about 2,500 officers was intended to halting a criminal group referred to as Red Command from increasing their control.

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

Officials subsequently stated that initial estimates suggests that 117 individuals were fatally injured.

The legal assistance organization, that offers legal help to disadvantaged individuals, has calculated the total number of fatalities to be 132.

According to researchers, the gang stands as the sole illegal faction which in recent years has been able to increase its control across the region.

It is widely considered as a major illegal faction in the country, in company with First Capital Command, and has a history extending half a century.

Per correspondent Rafael Soares, who has been covering criminal activity in the city for years, the gang "works as a system" with local criminal leaders affiliating with the group and becoming "commercial associates".

The gang engages primarily in drug trafficking, additionally trafficking guns, valuable minerals, energy resources, beverages cigarettes.

According to the authorities, criminal affiliates are well armed and officials reported that throughout the operation, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The official of the state, the political leader, described organization participants as drug terrorists and referred to the law enforcement personnel fatally injured in the action as "heroes".

However, the count of fatalities in the security action has come in for criticism from UN human rights officials expressing they felt "horrified".

During a press briefing the following day, the state leader defended the police force.

"It wasn't our intention to result in deaths. We wanted to arrest them all alive," he declared.

He continued that the circumstances worsened as the individuals fought back: "It was a consequence of the resistance they implemented and the disproportionate use of force by the illegal group."

The official additionally stated that the casualties presented by community members in the area were "altered".

Through a message on social media, he said that some of them had been removed of the camouflage clothing he said they had been wearing "in order to shift blame to security forces".

Felipe Curi of Rio's civil police force further reported that military attire, vests, and arms" were stripped from the victims and presented video seemingly depicting a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse