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The photographer

A photographer who observed the consequences of a massive law enforcement action in Rio de Janeiro has described how residents came back with badly injured victims of people who lost their lives.

The casualties "kept piling up: the count kept increasing", Bruno Itan described. Among them were those of police officers.

A particular victim was found without a head - others were "completely mutilated", he explained. Many also had evidence of blade trauma.

More than 120 people lost their lives during Tuesday's raid on a criminal gang - the most lethal operation the municipality has seen.

Bruno Itan stated that he initially learned to the raid early on Tuesday by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages alerting him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The photographer traveled to a local medical facility, where the bodies were coming in.

Itan explained that the police prevented journalists from accessing the operation zone, where the police action was under way.

"Police officers created a barrier and said: 'Media representatives are not allowed to pass'."

But Itan, who grew up in that neighborhood, reported he managed to make his way into the cordoned-off area, where he stayed through the night.

He explained during the night, area inhabitants began to search the elevated terrain that borders the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for family members whose whereabouts were unknown since the police raid.

Residents of the Penha neighbourhood proceeded to place the discovered victims in an open area - the documented evidence show the emotions of the people there.

"The violence of what occurred affected me profoundly: the sorrow of relatives, parents losing consciousness, women carrying children, weeping, angry family members," the reporter recounted.

The photographer

The official of the region stated that the extensive law enforcement effort deploying about 2,500 officers was designed to stopping an illegal organization known as Comando Vermelho from growing their influence.

Initially, the Rio state government claimed that sixty alleged criminals along with four officers" were fatally injured in the raid.

Officials subsequently stated that initial estimates suggests that 117 alleged criminals were fatally injured.

The legal assistance organization, which provides legal assistance to the poor, has estimated the final tally of people killed to be 132.

Based on expert analysis, Red Command stands as the sole illegal faction that in the past few years has managed to make territorial gains throughout Rio state.

Experts commonly view as a major illegal faction in the country, in company with another major gang, featuring a timeline dating back more than 50 years.

According to Brazilian journalist a specialist, with extensive experience documenting crime in Rio over many years, the gang "functions as a network" with neighborhood bosses affiliating with the group and becoming "operational allies".

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

Based on official reports, gang members are well armed and officials reported that throughout the operation, they came under attack via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The governor of the region, the political leader, described gang affiliates as "narcoterrorists" and referred to the four police officers who died during the operation as courageous individuals.

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

In a media appearance the following day, the official defended the police force.

"It wasn't our intention to result in deaths. We wanted to take suspects into custody without harm," he declared.

He continued that the situation had escalated due to the alleged criminals had retaliated: "It occurred of the counterattack they implemented and the excessive violence from the gang members."

The official additionally stated that the victims shown by residents in the area had been "manipulated".

In a post through digital channels, he claimed that particular individuals had been stripped of military-style attire which he claimed they wore "to redirect responsibility onto the police".

A law enforcement representative of Rio's civil police force also said that tactical gear, vests, and firearms" had been removed from the casualties and presented video apparently demonstrating an individual cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse