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Bruno Itan

An eyewitness who witnessed the aftermath of an extensive law enforcement action in the metropolitan area has recounted how local people brought back disfigured remains of those who had died.

The victims "kept piling up: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the photographer described. They included those of police officers.

One of the bodies was discovered headless - others were "severely damaged", he said. Many also had evidence of stab wounds.

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

Bruno Itan explained that he was first alerted concerning the action in the early hours by community members from the Alemão area, who contacted him alerting him there was a shoot-out.

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

The eyewitness reported that law enforcement prevented journalists from entering the affected area, where the operation was under way.

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

But Itan, who spent his childhood in the area, explained he managed to make his way past the security perimeter, where he continued until dawn.

He explained that Tuesday night, area inhabitants started looking the mountainous area which divides the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for family members whose whereabouts were unknown after the operation.

Local people of the Penha neighbourhood arranged the located casualties in a square - and Itan's photos show the response of the gathered crowd.

"The violence of it all impacted me a lot: the grief of relatives, parents losing consciousness, pregnant wives, weeping, outraged parents," the photographer recalled.

The eyewitness

The state leader of the state stated that the extensive law enforcement effort deploying about 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at halting an illegal organization known as Comando Vermelho from increasing their control.

At first, state authorities maintained that "60 suspects along with four officers" lost their lives during the action.

Authorities later reported that their "preliminary" count indicates that 117 individuals lost their lives.

The legal assistance organization, that offers legal help to the poor, has estimated the final tally of casualties as 132.

According to researchers, the gang stands as the sole illegal faction that recently has succeeded to make territorial gains across the region.

It is widely considered one of the two largest gangs in Brazil, alongside another major gang, with a background dating back more than 50 years.

Based on reporter Rafael Soares, who has been covering illegal operations in Rio over many years, the gang "works as a system" with local criminal leaders affiliating with the group and acting as "operational allies".

The gang engages primarily in illegal drug trade, but also smuggles guns, gold, petroleum products, alcohol smoking products.

According to the authorities, criminal affiliates are well armed and authorities stated that during the raid, they faced assaults using drone-delivered explosives.

The state leader of the region, the government representative, characterized Red Command members as drug terrorists and referred to the law enforcement personnel who died during the operation as brave public servants.

However, the count of fatalities in the operation has received condemnation from UN human rights officials saying it was "shocked".

During a press briefing the following day, the official justified security actions.

"It wasn't our intention to cause fatalities. We wanted to detain everyone safely," he said.

He added that the events intensified due to the alleged criminals fought back: "It was a consequence of the retaliation they carried out and the excessive violence by those criminals."

The state leader additionally stated that the casualties displayed by locals in the neighborhood had been "tampered with".

Via a statement on online platforms, he said that some of them had been removed of the camouflage clothing which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation to security forces".

Felipe Curi of Rio's civil police force also said that "camouflage clothing, body armor, and arms" were stripped from the bodies and showed footage seemingly depicting a person removing tactical gear {off a corpse