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The eyewitness

A photographer who observed the results of an extensive law enforcement action in the metropolitan area has recounted how local people brought back mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The casualties "kept coming: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the photographer reported. Among them were law enforcement personnel.

One individual had been decapitated - additional victims were "severely damaged", he explained. Several bodies showed evidence of knife injuries.

In excess of 120 victims were killed during the security action on a criminal gang - the most lethal operation Rio has experienced.

The photographer reported that he initially learned about the operation in the early hours by local people of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages informing him gunfire had erupted.

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

The photographer stated that the police stopped members of the press from accessing the affected area, where the police action were taking place.

"Police officers created a barrier and declared: 'Journalists doesn't get past here'."

However, the photographer, who spent his childhood in that neighborhood, explained he managed to gain access past the security perimeter, where he continued until dawn.

He described that Tuesday night, community members commenced searching the mountainous area which divides Penha from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for loved ones whose whereabouts were unknown following the security action.

Local people of the Penha neighbourhood organized the recovered bodies in a public space - the photographer's images display the emotions of the gathered crowd.

"The violence of what occurred shook me a lot: the sorrow of loved ones, mothers fainting, women carrying children, sobbing, angry family members," the reporter recounted.

The photographer

The state leader of the region stated that the extensive law enforcement effort with approximately 2,500 law enforcement members was designed to preventing a gang referred to as Comando Vermelho from growing their influence.

At first, state authorities maintained that sixty alleged criminals plus four law enforcement personnel" had been killed in the raid.

Authorities later reported that initial estimates shows that 117 "suspects" were fatally injured.

The public legal service, which provides legal assistance to the poor, has calculated the final tally of fatalities at 132.

Based on expert analysis, the gang stands as the sole illegal faction that in the past few years has succeeded to make territorial gains in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Experts commonly view among the biggest criminal organizations in Brazil, in company with a rival criminal group, featuring a timeline spanning over five decades.

According to Brazilian journalist Rafael Soares, with extensive experience documenting crime in Rio for years, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with neighborhood bosses forming part of the gang and becoming "operational allies".

The organization engages primarily in narcotics distribution, but also smuggles firearms, gold, energy resources, alcohol smoking products.

Per law enforcement statements, organization members are well armed and authorities stated that during the raid, they came under attack via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The governor of the region, the government representative, described gang affiliates as drug terrorists and called the security forces who died during the operation as courageous individuals.

However, the count of people killed during the raid has received condemnation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressing they felt "shocked".

In a media appearance the next day, Governor Castro supported law enforcement.

"There was no objective to kill anyone. We aimed to take suspects into custody without harm," he declared.

He further explained that the situation worsened due to the alleged criminals fought back: "It resulted of the retaliation they carried out and the excessive violence by the illegal group."

The state leader further reported that the casualties presented by community members in Penha were "altered".

Through a message through digital channels, he claimed that certain victims had been taken of military-style attire that he stated they possessed "in order to shift blame toward law enforcement".

A police official representing security forces also said that "camouflage clothing, protective equipment, and arms" were stripped from the casualties and presented video seemingly depicting a man removing tactical gear {off a corpse