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Bruno Itan

A reporter who observed the consequences of an extensive security raid in the metropolitan area has recounted how local people returned with mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The bodies "continued arriving: the count kept increasing", Bruno Itan stated. The total contained law enforcement personnel.

A particular victim was found without a head - additional victims were "completely mutilated", he said. Numerous victims displayed evidence of blade trauma.

More than 120 people lost their lives in the Tuesday operation against a criminal group - the deadliest such raid in the city.

The eyewitness explained that he initially learned concerning the action Tuesday morning by community members from the Alemão area, who reached out alerting him gunfire had erupted.

The reporter went to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the bodies were arriving.

The eyewitness reported that security forces prevented journalists from going into the operation zone, where the security measures was under way.

"Law enforcement personnel created a barrier and announced: 'Journalists doesn't get past here'."

But Itan, who grew up in the community, explained he was able to make his way past the security perimeter, where he continued until dawn.

He explained that evening, area inhabitants began to search the mountainous area which divides the Penha neighborhood from the neighboring Alemão community for loved ones whose whereabouts were unknown since the police raid.

Local people of the Penha neighbourhood organized the located casualties in an open area - and Itan's photos show the reaction of the gathered crowd.

"The violence of the situation affected me deeply: the sorrow of the families, parents losing consciousness, pregnant wives, sobbing, angry family members," the eyewitness remembered.

The eyewitness

The official of the region announced that the extensive law enforcement effort involving around 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at preventing an illegal organization called Comando Vermelho from increasing their control.

At first, local officials stated that sixty alleged criminals along with four officers" had been killed in the raid.

Authorities later reported that early calculations suggests that 117 alleged criminals were fatally injured.

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has calculated the overall count of casualties as 132.

According to researchers, the gang is the only criminal group that in the past few years has managed to make territorial gains throughout Rio state.

It is widely considered among the biggest criminal organizations in Brazil, in company with First Capital Command, and has a history dating back more than 50 years.

Based on reporter Rafael Soares, who has long reported on illegal operations in Rio extensively, Red Command "functions as a network" with local criminal leaders joining the organization and acting as "operational allies".

The organization concentrates largely on narcotics distribution, while also dealing in weapons, valuable minerals, energy resources, liquor and tobacco.

Per law enforcement statements, organization members have substantial firearms and officials reported that throughout the operation, they encountered resistance using drone-delivered explosives.

The state leader of the state, the government representative, characterized organization participants as drug terrorists and described the law enforcement personnel fatally injured in the action as courageous individuals.

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

In a media appearance on Wednesday, the state leader defended the police force.

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

He added that the situation intensified as the individuals had retaliated: "It occurred of the resistance they implemented and the overwhelming response from the gang members."

The official also said that the bodies displayed by locals in Penha were "altered".

Via a statement through digital channels, he claimed that some of them had been taken of military-style attire which he claimed they wore "to redirect responsibility to security forces".

Felipe Curi of Rio's civil police force further reported that military attire, protective equipment, and firearms" were stripped from the casualties and displayed evidence apparently demonstrating a man removing tactical gear {off a corpse