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Bruno Itan

A reporter who documented the results of an extensive Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has reported how residents returned with badly injured victims of the deceased individuals.

The casualties "continued arriving: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the photographer reported. The total contained those of police officers.

One of the bodies was discovered headless - others were "completely mutilated", he said. Many also had what appeared to be knife injuries.

Over 120 individuals were fatally injured during the security action on a criminal gang - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen.

Bruno Itan explained that residents first notified him about the operation in the early hours by local people of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages alerting him there was a shoot-out.

The reporter traveled to a local medical facility, where the casualties were coming in.

Itan explained that the police stopped members of the press from going into the affected area, where the operation was under way.

"Security forces established a perimeter and said: 'Journalists doesn't get past here'."

However, the photographer, who grew up in the community, reported he succeeded to make his way into the restricted zone, where he stayed until dawn.

He reported that evening, community members started looking the elevated terrain which divides the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for relatives who had been missing after the operation.

Community members of the Penha neighbourhood arranged the discovered victims in a public space - the photographer's images show the emotions of the gathered crowd.

"The harsh reality of it all affected me profoundly: the pain of the families, women collapsing, expectant spouses, sobbing, furious relatives," the photographer recalled.

The eyewitness

The official of the state declared that the large-scale security action deploying about 2,500 law enforcement members was intended to halting an illegal organization referred to as the criminal faction from expanding its territory.

Initially, state authorities maintained that sixty alleged criminals and four police officers" lost their lives in the raid.

They have since said that their "preliminary" count suggests that 117 alleged criminals were fatally injured.

Rio's public defender's office, that offers legal help to disadvantaged individuals, has put the final tally of fatalities as 132.

Based on expert analysis, the criminal organization represents the unique criminal entity that in the past few years has managed to increase its control throughout Rio state.

It is widely considered one of the two largest gangs nationally, alongside another major gang, and has a history spanning over five decades.

According to reporter Rafael Soares, who has long reported on illegal operations in Rio over many years, the gang "operates like a franchise" with neighborhood bosses joining the organization and becoming "business partners".

The criminal group concentrates largely on drug trafficking, while also dealing in firearms, gold, energy resources, beverages smoking products.

Per law enforcement statements, criminal affiliates are well armed and police said that throughout the operation, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The state leader of the state, the political leader, described Red Command members as drug terrorists and described the law enforcement personnel fatally injured in the action as "heroes".

However, the count of people killed during the raid has faced scrutiny from UN human rights officials saying it was "shocked".

At a news conference on Wednesday, the state leader defended the police force.

"There was no objective to cause fatalities. We intended to detain everyone safely," he said.

He added that the circumstances had escalated due to the alleged criminals fought back: "It resulted of the retaliation they implemented and the excessive violence by the illegal group."

The official additionally stated that the bodies shown by residents in the area were "altered".

Through a message on online platforms, he said that certain victims had been removed of tactical gear which he claimed they wore "in order to shift blame onto the police".

A law enforcement representative from the police department additionally stated that tactical gear, protective equipment, and firearms" had been removed from the bodies and showed footage apparently demonstrating a person cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse