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The eyewitness

A reporter who observed the aftermath of a massive Brazilian police operation in the metropolitan area has described how residents brought back mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The victims "kept piling up: the count kept increasing", the photographer reported. They included security forces.

One individual had been decapitated - while others appeared "completely mutilated", he said. Many also had what appeared to be knife injuries.

More than 120 people were killed in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen.

The eyewitness reported that he initially learned to the raid in the early hours by residents from the Alemão area, who contacted him alerting him there was a shoot-out.

The photographer went to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the victims were coming in.

The photographer stated that law enforcement blocked media personnel from going into the Penha neighborhood, where the police action were occurring.

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

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who grew up in the area, stated he succeeded to enter into the restricted zone, where he continued through the night.

He reported that evening, community members commenced searching the hillside which divides the Penha neighborhood from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for loved ones who were unaccounted for following the security action.

Residents of the Penha neighbourhood proceeded to place the discovered victims in a public space - the documented evidence display the reaction of the people there.

"The harsh reality of the situation affected me a lot: the sorrow of the families, women collapsing, women carrying children, weeping, outraged parents," the reporter recounted.

The eyewitness

The official of the state stated that the extensive law enforcement effort with approximately 2,500 officers was intended to stopping a gang known as Comando Vermelho from increasing their control.

Originally, local officials maintained that sixty alleged criminals plus four law enforcement personnel" were fatally injured in the raid.

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

Rio's public defender's office, that offers legal help to low-income residents, has calculated the overall count of casualties at 132.

Based on expert analysis, the gang is the only criminal group which in recent years has been able to expand its territory in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is widely considered as a major illegal faction in Brazil, alongside First Capital Command, featuring a timeline extending half a century.

Based on reporter an expert, who has long reported on crime in Rio for years, the gang "works as a system" with neighborhood bosses forming part of the gang and acting as "commercial associates".

The criminal group engages primarily in drug trafficking, but also smuggles weapons, valuable minerals, energy resources, liquor smoking products.

Based on official reports, criminal affiliates are well armed and authorities stated that while the action was underway, they came under attack via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The state leader of the region, the government representative, labeled gang affiliates as drug terrorists and described the four police officers who died during the operation as "heroes".

Nevertheless, the total of fatalities in the operation has received condemnation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressing they felt "horrified".

During a press briefing the following day, the official defended the police force.

"It wasn't our intention to cause fatalities. We aimed to take suspects into custody without harm," he said.

He continued that the events worsened as the individuals fought back: "It occurred of the resistance they carried out and the excessive violence from the gang members."

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

Through a message on online platforms, he claimed that particular individuals had been removed of the camouflage clothing which he claimed they wore "in order to shift blame to security forces".

A police official representing security forces also said that "camouflage clothing, vests, and weapons" were stripped from the victims and displayed evidence apparently demonstrating a person stripping military attire {off a corpse