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The photographer

An eyewitness who documented the aftermath of an extensive security raid in the metropolitan area has recounted how community members brought back badly injured victims of people who lost their lives.

The victims "kept piling up: the count kept increasing", the photographer reported. The total contained those of police officers.

One individual was found without a head - while others appeared "severely damaged", he said. Several bodies showed what appeared to be stab wounds.

More than 120 people were killed during Tuesday's raid against a criminal group - the deadliest such raid the municipality has seen.

The eyewitness reported that residents first notified him to the raid early on Tuesday by residents from the Alemão area, who reached out telling him there was a shoot-out.

The reporter went to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the casualties were coming in.

The eyewitness reported that security forces blocked media personnel from going into the affected area, where the operation was under way.

"Law enforcement personnel created a barrier and announced: 'Media representatives cannot proceed beyond this point'."

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

He reported that Tuesday night, community members began to search the mountainous area that borders the Penha neighborhood from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for family members whose whereabouts were unknown after the operation.

Residents of the Penha neighbourhood proceeded to place the discovered victims in an open area - the documented evidence show the response of those present.

"The brutality of the situation impacted me profoundly: the grief of loved ones, women collapsing, women carrying children, crying, angry family members," the photographer recalled.

The eyewitness

The state leader of Rio state announced that the extensive law enforcement effort involving around 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at stopping a criminal group referred to as the criminal faction from increasing their control.

Originally, state authorities maintained that sixty alleged criminals along with four officers" were fatally injured during the action.

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

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to the poor, has estimated the final tally of casualties at 132.

Based on expert analysis, the criminal organization stands as the sole illegal faction that in the past few years has been able to make territorial gains across the region.

It is generally regarded one of the two largest gangs in the country, alongside a rival criminal group, with a background spanning over five decades.

Based on correspondent a specialist, with extensive experience documenting criminal activity in the city for years, Red Command "operates like a franchise" with area gang leaders joining the organization and becoming "commercial associates".

The organization focuses mainly on narcotics distribution, but also smuggles firearms, gold, fuel, alcohol and tobacco.

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

The governor of the state, the political leader, labeled organization participants as drug terrorists and described the four police officers fatally injured in the action as brave public servants.

But the number of people killed in the security action has received condemnation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stating they were "shocked".

During a press briefing on Wednesday, Governor Castro justified security actions.

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

He added that the situation intensified as the individuals fought back: "It resulted of the retaliation they implemented and the excessive violence from the gang members."

The state leader also said that the bodies displayed by locals in Penha had been "tampered with".

Through a message on social media, he said that certain victims had been stripped of tactical gear that he stated they possessed "to transfer accusation to security forces".

Felipe Curi from the police department additionally stated that "camouflage clothing, protective equipment, and weapons" were stripped from the bodies and presented video seemingly depicting an individual cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse