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Bruno Itan

A reporter who documented the results of an extensive Brazilian police operation in the Brazilian city has reported how residents brought back mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The bodies "continued arriving: the numbers kept rising", the eyewitness described. They included those of police officers.

One of the bodies was discovered headless - others were "completely mutilated", he reported. Numerous victims displayed what appeared to be knife injuries.

In excess of 120 victims were fatally injured during Tuesday's raid against a criminal group - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen.

The eyewitness explained that he initially learned about the operation in the early hours by residents living in Alemão, who sent him messages informing him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The eyewitness went 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 Penha neighborhood, where the operation was under way.

"Security forces created a barrier and said: 'Journalists are not allowed to pass'."

However, the photographer, who was raised in the area, reported he was able to enter past the security perimeter, where he continued until dawn.

He described during the night, local residents started looking the mountainous area that separates Penha from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for relatives who had been missing since the police raid.

Local people from the Penha area arranged the located casualties in a public space - the documented evidence reveal the emotions of the gathered crowd.

"The violence of the situation shook me a lot: the sorrow of the families, parents losing consciousness, women carrying children, weeping, outraged parents," the reporter recounted.

The eyewitness

The state leader of Rio state announced that the extensive law enforcement effort with approximately 2,500 security personnel was designed to stopping an illegal organization called the criminal faction from expanding its territory.

Initially, the Rio state government stated that sixty individuals along with four officers" were fatally injured in the operation.

Officials subsequently stated that their "preliminary" count indicates that 117 "suspects" have been killed.

The legal assistance organization, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has estimated the total number of fatalities at 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization stands as the sole illegal faction which in recent years has been able to make territorial gains in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is widely considered as a major illegal faction in Brazil, alongside a rival criminal group, and has a history extending half a century.

According to reporter Rafael Soares, who has long reported on illegal operations in Rio over many years, the gang "works as a system" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and acting as "commercial associates".

The criminal group focuses mainly on drug trafficking, additionally trafficking weapons, valuable minerals, petroleum products, liquor cigarettes.

According to the authorities, criminal affiliates possess significant weaponry and authorities stated that during the raid, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The governor of the state, the government representative, labeled organization participants as drug terrorists and described the four police officers killed in the raid as brave public servants.

But the number of people killed during the raid has received condemnation from UN human rights officials stating they were "horrified".

In a media appearance on Wednesday, Governor Castro justified security actions.

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

He further explained that the events intensified due to the alleged criminals fought back: "It resulted of the counterattack they implemented and the excessive violence by those criminals."

The official further reported that the victims displayed by locals in Penha had been "manipulated".

Via a statement on social media, he said that some of them had been stripped of the camouflage clothing which he claimed they wore "in order to shift blame toward law enforcement".

A law enforcement representative of Rio's civil police force further reported that tactical gear, vests, and firearms" were stripped from the victims and showed footage seemingly depicting an individual cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse