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The eyewitness

A photographer who documented the consequences of an extensive security raid in Rio de Janeiro has described how community members came back with disfigured remains of those who had died.

The casualties "continued arriving: the count kept increasing", the photographer stated. The total contained law enforcement personnel.

A particular victim was discovered headless - others were "totally disfigured", he explained. Numerous victims displayed evidence of stab wounds.

Over 120 individuals were killed during the security action against a criminal group - the deadliest such raid in the city.

The photographer explained that he initially learned concerning the action in the early hours by residents living in Alemão, who contacted him alerting him there was a shoot-out.

The reporter made his way to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the victims were being brought.

The eyewitness reported that the police blocked media personnel from going into the operation zone, where the security measures was under way.

"Security forces formed a line and announced: 'The press cannot proceed beyond this point'."

However, the photographer, who spent his childhood in the community, explained he succeeded to make his way into the restricted zone, where he remained until dawn.

He reported that Tuesday night, local residents commenced searching the hillside that borders the Penha neighborhood from the neighboring Alemão community for loved ones whose whereabouts were unknown after the operation.

Residents from the Penha area proceeded to place the located casualties in a public space - the photographer's images show the reaction of the people there.

"The brutality of what occurred impacted me deeply: the sorrow of loved ones, parents losing consciousness, expectant spouses, crying, furious relatives," the eyewitness remembered.

The photographer

The official of the region declared that the extensive law enforcement effort with approximately 2,500 security personnel was intended to preventing a gang called Comando Vermelho from expanding its territory.

At first, state authorities maintained that sixty alleged criminals along with four officers" lost their lives during the action.

They have since said that early calculations indicates that 117 "suspects" have been killed.

Rio's public defender's office, that offers legal help to the poor, has put the final tally of people killed to be 132.

Based on expert analysis, the gang is the only criminal group that recently has succeeded to increase its control across the region.

It is widely considered one of the two largest gangs nationally, in company with another major gang, with a background spanning over five decades.

Based on Brazilian journalist a specialist, who has been covering criminal activity in the city over many years, the criminal organization "functions as a network" with neighborhood bosses joining the organization and becoming "commercial associates".

The criminal group focuses mainly on drug trafficking, additionally trafficking weapons, valuable minerals, fuel, alcohol smoking products.

Per law enforcement statements, organization members possess significant weaponry and officials reported that while the action was underway, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The state leader of the state, the government representative, labeled Red Command members as criminal extremists and called the law enforcement personnel fatally injured in the action as brave public servants.

Nevertheless, the total of people killed in the operation has come in for criticism with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights saying it was "shocked".

At a news conference the next day, the official justified security actions.

"We did not plan to cause fatalities. We aimed to take suspects into custody without harm," he said.

He continued that the events had escalated due to the alleged criminals fought back: "It was a consequence of the resistance they carried out and the excessive violence by the illegal group."

The official further reported that the bodies shown by residents in the area had been "manipulated".

Through a message on social media, he asserted that particular individuals had been taken of military-style attire he said they had been wearing "in order to shift blame toward law enforcement".

Felipe Curi representing security forces additionally stated that "camouflage clothing, vests, and firearms" were taken away from the bodies and displayed evidence appearing to show an individual removing tactical gear {off a corpse