The casualties continued piling up - photographer recounts fatal Rio security action

The eyewitness

A reporter who witnessed the consequences of an extensive security raid in the Brazilian city has reported how local people returned with mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The victims "continued arriving: the numbers kept rising", the eyewitness reported. The total contained security forces.

One individual was discovered headless - while others appeared "completely mutilated", he reported. Numerous victims displayed what appeared to be stab wounds.

In excess of 120 victims were killed during Tuesday's raid against a criminal group - the most lethal operation in the city.

Bruno Itan reported that he initially learned to the raid Tuesday morning by local people of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages alerting him gunfire had erupted.

The reporter made his way to the healthcare center, where the victims were being brought.

The photographer stated that law enforcement blocked media personnel from going into the operation zone, where the security measures were taking place.

"Police officers established a perimeter and said: 'The press cannot proceed beyond this point'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who was raised in that neighborhood, reported he was able to gain access past the security perimeter, where he stayed until dawn.

He described that evening, community members began to search the elevated terrain that borders Penha from the neighboring Alemão community for family members whose whereabouts were unknown since the police raid.

Local people of the Penha neighbourhood proceeded to place the discovered victims in an open area - the photographer's images show the response of those present.

"The brutality of it all shook me deeply: the grief of relatives, parents losing consciousness, pregnant wives, weeping, angry family members," the photographer recalled.

The photographer

The official of the state announced that the large-scale security action with approximately 2,500 officers was aimed at halting a criminal group referred to as the criminal faction from increasing their control.

Initially, state authorities stated that sixty alleged criminals and four police officers" lost their lives in the raid.

Authorities later reported that early calculations indicates that 117 "suspects" have been killed.

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

Per investigative findings, Red Command represents the unique criminal entity which in recent years has managed to expand its territory in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Experts commonly view among the biggest criminal organizations in the country, together with First Capital Command, with a background dating back more than 50 years.

Based on reporter Rafael Soares, who has long reported on crime in Rio for years, Red Command "works as a system" with neighborhood bosses joining the organization and acting as "operational allies".

The gang focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, but also smuggles guns, valuable minerals, petroleum products, alcohol cigarettes.

Based on official reports, criminal affiliates are well armed and authorities stated that throughout the operation, they faced assaults via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The governor of the region, Cláudio Castro, described organization participants as "narcoterrorists" and referred to the four police officers fatally injured in the action as "heroes".

However, the count of fatalities in the operation has come in for criticism from UN human rights officials stating they were "shocked".

During a press briefing on Wednesday, the official defended the police force.

"We did not plan to kill anyone. We intended to take suspects into custody without harm," he said.

He further explained that the situation intensified as the individuals had retaliated: "It was a consequence of the counterattack they executed and the overwhelming response from the gang members."

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

In a post on online platforms, he claimed that some of them had been taken of military-style attire he said they had been wearing "to transfer accusation to security forces".

Felipe Curi of Rio's civil police force also said that tactical gear, vests, and weapons" were taken away from the victims and displayed evidence apparently demonstrating an individual cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse