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The photographer

A photographer who observed the aftermath of a massive Brazilian police operation in the Brazilian city has reported how residents returned with mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The bodies "kept piling up: the numbers kept rising", the eyewitness described. They included security forces.

One individual had been decapitated - others were "severely damaged", he said. Numerous victims displayed what appeared to be knife injuries.

More than 120 people were killed in the Tuesday operation on a criminal gang - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen.

The eyewitness explained that he was first alerted to the raid Tuesday morning by community members from the Alemão area, who sent him messages informing him there was a shoot-out.

The eyewitness traveled to a local medical facility, where the victims were coming in.

Itan explained that security forces stopped members of the press from entering the operation zone, where the security measures were taking place.

"Law enforcement personnel established a perimeter and declared: 'Media representatives are not allowed to pass'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who grew up in the area, stated he managed to make his way into the cordoned-off area, where he remained until the next morning.

He reported that evening, area inhabitants started looking the mountainous area which divides the Penha neighborhood from the neighboring Alemão community for loved ones whose whereabouts were unknown since the police raid.

Residents from the Penha area proceeded to place the discovered victims in an open area - the documented evidence display the reaction of the people there.

"The violence of it all impacted me a lot: the pain of relatives, mothers fainting, women carrying children, sobbing, furious relatives," the photographer recalled.

Bruno Itan

The state leader of the region declared that the extensive law enforcement effort deploying about 2,500 security personnel was designed to halting a criminal group referred to as the criminal faction from increasing their control.

At first, state authorities claimed that sixty individuals along with four officers" had been killed in the raid.

Officials subsequently stated that initial estimates indicates that 117 alleged criminals have been killed.

Rio's public defender's office, which provides legal assistance to low-income residents, has calculated the final tally of fatalities at 132.

According to researchers, the gang stands as the sole illegal faction that recently has managed to expand its territory across the region.

It is widely considered among the biggest criminal organizations in Brazil, together with First Capital Command, and has a history extending half a century.

According to Brazilian journalist Rafael Soares, with extensive experience documenting criminal activity in the city for years, the gang "works as a system" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and serving as "operational allies".

The organization focuses mainly on drug trafficking, while also dealing in guns, gold, energy resources, alcohol smoking products.

Based on official reports, gang members have substantial firearms and police said that while the action was underway, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The governor of Rio state, Cláudio Castro, characterized gang affiliates as "narcoterrorists" and called the four police officers who died during the operation as brave public servants.

But the number of fatalities during the raid has faced scrutiny from UN human rights officials expressing they felt "horrified".

At a news conference on Wednesday, the state leader supported law enforcement.

"We did not plan to kill anyone. We intended to take suspects into custody without harm," he said.

He further explained that the circumstances worsened due to the alleged criminals had retaliated: "It occurred of the retaliation they implemented and the disproportionate use of force from the gang members."

The official further reported that the bodies shown by residents in the neighborhood had been "tampered with".

In a post on online platforms, he claimed that certain victims had been stripped of military-style attire he said they had been wearing "to transfer accusation onto the police".

Felipe Curi of Rio's civil police force also said that "camouflage clothing, protective equipment, and firearms" were taken away from the casualties and presented video apparently demonstrating a person removing tactical gear {off a corpse