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The eyewitness

A photographer who observed the aftermath of an extensive Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has recounted how community members came back with badly injured victims of people who lost their lives.

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

A particular victim was found without a head - while others appeared "totally disfigured", he explained. Many also had evidence of knife injuries.

In excess of 120 victims were fatally injured in the Tuesday operation against a criminal group - the most lethal operation in the city.

The eyewitness explained that he was first alerted about the operation Tuesday morning by community members living in Alemão, who reached out informing him gunfire had erupted.

The reporter traveled to a local medical facility, where the victims were being brought.

The photographer stated that security forces blocked media personnel from accessing the operation zone, where the operation were occurring.

"Law enforcement personnel created a barrier and said: 'The press doesn't get past here'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who was raised in the community, explained he was able to gain access into the cordoned-off area, where he continued until the next morning.

He reported that evening, local residents began to search the hillside that separates the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for relatives who had been missing after the operation.

Community members of the Penha neighbourhood organized the recovered bodies in a public space - the photographer's images reveal the reaction of the people there.

"The harsh reality of what occurred affected me a lot: the grief of the families, parents losing consciousness, expectant spouses, sobbing, angry family members," the reporter recounted.

The photographer

The official of the state stated that the large-scale security action with approximately 2,500 security personnel was designed to stopping a criminal group called Red Command from growing their influence.

Originally, the Rio state government claimed that "60 suspects along with four officers" were fatally injured in the raid.

Authorities later reported that early calculations suggests that 117 alleged criminals lost their lives.

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

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

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

According to Brazilian journalist an expert, who has long reported on criminal activity in the city extensively, the gang "operates like a franchise" with local criminal leaders joining the organization and becoming "business partners".

The criminal group focuses mainly on drug trafficking, while also dealing in weapons, precious metals, fuel, beverages smoking products.

According to the authorities, gang members have substantial firearms and police said that while the action was underway, they faced assaults using drone-delivered explosives.

The state leader of Rio state, Cláudio Castro, characterized gang affiliates as drug terrorists and referred to the law enforcement personnel who died during the operation as courageous individuals.

However, the count of fatalities during the raid has received condemnation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights saying it was "horrified".

In a media appearance the following day, the state leader justified security actions.

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

He continued that the circumstances worsened due to the alleged criminals resisted aggressively: "It resulted of the resistance they executed and the overwhelming response by those criminals."

The governor further reported that the victims shown by residents in the neighborhood had been "manipulated".

In a post on online platforms, he claimed that certain victims had been removed of military-style attire which he claimed they wore "in order to shift blame toward law enforcement".

Felipe Curi of Rio's civil police force also said that military attire, protective equipment, and arms" were stripped from the bodies and presented video apparently demonstrating an individual cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse