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The eyewitness

A photographer who witnessed the consequences of a massive Brazilian police operation in the metropolitan area has described how community members returned with badly injured victims of people who lost their lives.

The victims "continued arriving: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the photographer described. Among them were those of police officers.

One of the bodies was discovered headless - additional victims were "severely damaged", he explained. Many also had evidence of knife injuries.

Over 120 individuals were killed during the security action targeting an illegal organization - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen.

Bruno Itan explained that he was first alerted about the operation early on Tuesday by residents of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages informing him there was a shoot-out.

The eyewitness traveled to the healthcare center, where the bodies were being brought.

The photographer stated that law enforcement stopped members of the press from accessing the affected area, where the security measures were taking place.

"Law enforcement personnel formed a line and announced: 'Journalists are not allowed to pass'."

However, the photographer, who spent his childhood in the community, explained he was able to make his way into the cordoned-off area, where he continued through the night.

He reported that Tuesday night, local residents commenced searching the mountainous area which divides the Penha neighborhood from the neighboring Alemão community for family members whose whereabouts were unknown after the operation.

Community members from the Penha area organized the recovered bodies in a square - and Itan's photos display the response of the people there.

"The violence of the situation affected me deeply: the pain of loved ones, mothers fainting, women carrying children, weeping, outraged parents," the reporter recounted.

Bruno Itan

The governor of the region announced that the large-scale security action deploying about 2,500 security personnel was aimed at halting a gang called Red Command from expanding its territory.

Initially, state authorities maintained that "60 suspects along with four officers" lost their lives in the operation.

Authorities later reported that initial estimates indicates that 117 alleged criminals lost their lives.

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to disadvantaged individuals, has estimated the final tally of people killed as 132.

According to researchers, the criminal organization is the only criminal group which in recent years has succeeded to increase its control throughout Rio state.

It is generally regarded one of the two largest gangs nationally, alongside another major gang, with a background dating back more than 50 years.

Based on reporter a specialist, who has been covering criminal activity in the city extensively, Red Command "operates like a franchise" with neighborhood bosses forming part of the gang and becoming "operational allies".

The gang concentrates largely on drug trafficking, but also smuggles weapons, precious metals, energy resources, alcohol smoking products.

Per law enforcement statements, criminal affiliates are well armed and authorities stated that throughout the operation, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The official of Rio state, the government representative, labeled gang affiliates as "narcoterrorists" and called 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 from international human rights authorities saying it was "appalled".

At a news conference on Wednesday, the official justified security actions.

"There was no objective to result in deaths. We wanted to detain everyone safely," he said.

He added that the situation had escalated because the suspects had retaliated: "It occurred of the retaliation they carried out and the disproportionate use of force from the gang members."

The governor further reported that the casualties presented by community members in the area had been "tampered with".

Through a message on online platforms, he asserted that some of them had been removed of the camouflage clothing he said they had been wearing "to transfer accusation to security forces".

A police official from the police department further reported that military attire, protective equipment, and weapons" had been removed from the victims and showed footage seemingly depicting an individual removing tactical gear {off a corpse