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The eyewitness

An eyewitness who witnessed the results of an extensive law enforcement action in the Brazilian city has described how community members came back with mutilated bodies of those who had died.

The bodies "kept piling up: the count kept increasing", the eyewitness stated. The total contained security forces.

One of the bodies had been decapitated - while others appeared "totally disfigured", he said. Numerous victims displayed what appeared to be knife injuries.

More than 120 people were killed in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the deadliest such raid Rio has experienced.

The eyewitness explained that he was first alerted about the operation in the early hours by community members from the Alemão area, who sent him messages alerting him there was a shoot-out.

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

The eyewitness reported that law enforcement blocked media personnel from entering the operation zone, where the security measures were occurring.

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

But Itan, who grew up in that neighborhood, reported he was able to enter into the cordoned-off area, where he stayed until dawn.

He explained during the night, community members started looking the mountainous area which divides the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for family members whose whereabouts were unknown following the security action.

Residents living in Penha organized the discovered victims in a public space - the documented evidence display the reaction of those present.

"The harsh reality of the situation impacted me deeply: the pain of relatives, mothers fainting, expectant spouses, weeping, furious relatives," the photographer recalled.

The photographer

The governor of the state stated that the massive police operation with approximately 2,500 security personnel was aimed at preventing a criminal group referred to as Red Command from expanding its territory.

At first, state authorities claimed that sixty individuals and four police officers" had been killed during the action.

They have since said that their "preliminary" count indicates that 117 "suspects" were fatally injured.

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to disadvantaged individuals, has put the final tally of fatalities at 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization is the only criminal group that in the past few years has managed to expand its territory throughout Rio state.

It is generally regarded among the biggest criminal organizations nationally, in company with First Capital Command, featuring a timeline dating back more than 50 years.

Per reporter a specialist, who has been covering illegal operations in Rio for years, Red Command "functions as a network" with local criminal leaders affiliating with the group and acting as "business partners".

The criminal group focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, but also smuggles weapons, valuable minerals, fuel, liquor cigarettes.

Per law enforcement statements, gang members possess significant weaponry and authorities stated that while the action was underway, they encountered resistance from explosive-laden drones.

The state leader of the region, Cláudio Castro, characterized gang affiliates as drug terrorists and called the security forces killed in the raid as courageous individuals.

Nevertheless, the total of people killed in the security action has received condemnation from UN human rights officials saying it was "shocked".

In a media appearance the next day, the state leader justified security actions.

"We did not plan to cause fatalities. We intended to detain everyone safely," he stated.

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 overwhelming response by those criminals."

The official also said that the victims displayed by locals in Penha had been "manipulated".

In a post on social media, he asserted that certain victims had been removed of military-style attire which he claimed they wore "in order to shift blame to security forces".

A law enforcement representative representing security forces also said that tactical gear, body armor, and firearms" were stripped from the bodies and presented video apparently demonstrating a man stripping military attire {off a corpse