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Bruno Itan

A reporter who witnessed the consequences of a large-scale law enforcement action in the Brazilian city has reported how residents brought back badly injured victims of people who lost their lives.

The victims "continued arriving: the numbers kept rising", the eyewitness described. The total contained law enforcement personnel.

One of the bodies had been decapitated - while others appeared "totally disfigured", he said. Several bodies showed what he described as stab wounds.

Over 120 individuals lost their lives in the Tuesday operation on a criminal gang - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen.

Bruno Itan explained that residents first notified him concerning the action Tuesday morning by local people living in Alemão, who reached out telling him gunfire had erupted.

The photographer went to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the casualties were coming in.

The eyewitness reported that law enforcement prevented journalists from entering the operation zone, where the police action was under way.

"Law enforcement personnel formed a line and said: 'Journalists doesn't get past here'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who grew up in the community, reported he was able to enter into the restricted zone, where he continued through the night.

He described during the night, area inhabitants began to search the mountainous area that separates Penha from the adjacent Alemão area for loved ones who had been missing after the operation.

Residents living in Penha arranged the located casualties in a square - the photographer's images reveal the response of the people there.

"The violence of what occurred impacted me profoundly: the pain of the families, women collapsing, women carrying children, weeping, outraged parents," the eyewitness remembered.

The eyewitness

The governor of the region announced that the large-scale security action deploying about 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at preventing a criminal group referred to as Comando Vermelho from increasing their control.

At first, local officials maintained that sixty individuals along with four officers" were fatally injured in the operation.

Officials subsequently stated that early calculations indicates that 117 "suspects" were fatally injured.

The legal assistance organization, that offers legal help to disadvantaged individuals, has calculated the total number of fatalities at 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization represents the unique criminal entity that in the past few years has been able to make territorial gains across the region.

It is widely considered among the biggest criminal organizations in Brazil, together with another major gang, with a background spanning over five decades.

According to reporter an expert, who has long reported on illegal operations in Rio for years, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with local criminal leaders affiliating with the group and becoming "business partners".

The criminal group engages primarily in illegal drug trade, but also smuggles weapons, valuable minerals, fuel, liquor cigarettes.

According to the authorities, gang members have substantial firearms and authorities stated that throughout the operation, they encountered resistance using drone-delivered explosives.

The official of the state, the political leader, labeled organization participants as criminal extremists and referred to the law enforcement personnel fatally injured in the action as "heroes".

Nevertheless, the total of fatalities during the raid has faced scrutiny from UN human rights officials stating they were "shocked".

In a media appearance the following day, Governor Castro justified security actions.

"There was no objective to cause fatalities. We aimed to take suspects into custody without harm," he declared.

He continued that the circumstances intensified because the suspects resisted aggressively: "It occurred of the counterattack they executed and the overwhelming response from the gang members."

The governor further reported that the victims shown by residents in Penha were "altered".

Via a statement through digital channels, he asserted that some of them had been stripped of military-style attire which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation onto the police".

A police official representing security forces additionally stated that military attire, protective equipment, and weapons" were taken away from the casualties and showed footage seemingly depicting a person removing tactical gear {off a corpse