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The photographer

An eyewitness who documented the results of an extensive Brazilian police operation in the metropolitan area has recounted how local people came back with mutilated bodies of people who lost their lives.

The bodies "kept coming: the count kept increasing", Bruno Itan described. Among them were those of police officers.

One of the bodies was found without a head - others were "severely damaged", he said. Numerous victims displayed what appeared to be stab wounds.

Over 120 individuals lost their lives during Tuesday's raid targeting an illegal organization - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen.

The eyewitness explained that residents first notified him about the operation early on Tuesday by residents of the Alemão neighbourhood, who reached out informing him there was a shoot-out.

The eyewitness made his way to the healthcare center, where the casualties were coming in.

Itan explained that law enforcement blocked media personnel from entering the Penha neighborhood, where the security measures were occurring.

"Security forces formed a line and said: 'Media representatives doesn't get past here'."

But Itan, who grew up in the community, stated he succeeded to enter into the cordoned-off area, where he remained until the next morning.

He reported that Tuesday night, local residents started looking the hillside that separates the community of Penha and the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for loved ones who had been missing following the security action.

Local people of the Penha neighbourhood organized the recovered bodies in an open area - the photographer's images reveal the response of the gathered crowd.

"The violence of what occurred affected me deeply: the sorrow of relatives, parents losing consciousness, pregnant wives, sobbing, angry family members," the eyewitness remembered.

The eyewitness

The state leader of the state stated that the large-scale security action with approximately 2,500 security personnel was aimed at halting an illegal organization referred to as Comando Vermelho from expanding its territory.

Initially, the Rio state government claimed that sixty alleged criminals plus four law enforcement personnel" had been killed during the action.

They have since said that early calculations shows that 117 "suspects" have been killed.

The public legal service, that offers legal help to the poor, has put the final tally of people killed as 132.

Based on expert analysis, the criminal organization represents the unique criminal entity that recently has succeeded to increase its control throughout Rio state.

Experts commonly view as a major illegal faction in the country, alongside First Capital Command, and has a history dating back more than 50 years.

Based on correspondent a specialist, with extensive experience documenting illegal operations in Rio over many years, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with area gang leaders forming part of the gang and becoming "operational allies".

The organization focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, additionally trafficking guns, gold, energy resources, beverages and tobacco.

According to the authorities, organization members are well armed and police said that while the action was underway, they encountered resistance via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The governor of the region, the political leader, labeled organization participants as drug terrorists and described the four police officers killed in the raid as "heroes".

However, the count of casualties in the security action has faced scrutiny with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights saying it was "horrified".

During a press briefing on Wednesday, Governor Castro supported law enforcement.

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

He added that the circumstances had escalated because the suspects had retaliated: "It occurred of the resistance they carried out and the disproportionate use of force by the illegal group."

The governor further reported that the victims presented by community members in the neighborhood had been "manipulated".

In a post through digital channels, he asserted that some of them had been taken of the camouflage clothing he said they had been wearing "in order to shift blame to security forces".

Felipe Curi of Rio's civil police force also said that "camouflage clothing, vests, and weapons" were stripped from the victims and displayed evidence appearing to show a man removing tactical gear {off a corpse