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The eyewitness

A photographer who observed the consequences of an extensive Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has described how residents returned with badly injured victims of the deceased individuals.

The casualties "continued arriving: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the photographer stated. Among them were those of police officers.

One of the bodies was discovered headless - others were "severely damaged", he said. Many also had evidence of stab wounds.

In excess of 120 victims were killed during the security action on a criminal gang - the bloodiest action in the city.

The photographer explained that residents first notified him concerning the action in the early hours by residents from the Alemão area, who contacted him telling him gunfire had erupted.

The photographer traveled to the healthcare center, where the victims were arriving.

The eyewitness reported that the police blocked media personnel from going into the affected area, where the security measures was under way.

"Security forces formed a line and announced: 'The press cannot proceed beyond this point'."

However, the photographer, who was raised in the community, reported he was able to gain access past the security perimeter, where he remained through the night.

He described during the night, community members started looking the mountainous area that borders Penha from the adjacent Alemão area for loved ones who had been missing following the security action.

Community members from the Penha area arranged the located casualties in a public space - the documented evidence show the response of the people there.

"The violence of what occurred shook me profoundly: the pain of the families, women collapsing, pregnant wives, weeping, furious relatives," the eyewitness remembered.

The eyewitness

The state leader of Rio state stated that the large-scale security action with approximately 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at preventing an illegal organization referred to as the criminal faction from increasing their control.

Initially, state authorities claimed that sixty individuals along with four officers" lost their lives in the raid.

Authorities later reported that initial estimates suggests that 117 individuals have been killed.

The legal assistance organization, that offers legal help to disadvantaged individuals, has calculated the final tally of people killed as 132.

Per investigative findings, Red Command is the only criminal group which in recent years has succeeded to expand its territory in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is widely considered as a major illegal faction in the country, alongside First Capital Command, with a background dating back more than 50 years.

According to Brazilian journalist an expert, who has been covering criminal activity in the city for years, Red Command "functions as a network" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and acting as "business partners".

The gang focuses mainly on drug trafficking, additionally trafficking firearms, precious metals, petroleum products, liquor cigarettes.

According to the authorities, gang members have substantial firearms and officials reported that during the raid, they encountered resistance using drone-delivered explosives.

The state leader of the state, the government representative, labeled organization participants as criminal extremists and referred to the four police officers killed in the raid as courageous individuals.

Nevertheless, the total of casualties in the operation has come in for criticism from international human rights authorities expressing they felt "horrified".

In a media appearance on Wednesday, Governor Castro defended the police force.

"We did not plan to kill anyone. We aimed to arrest them all alive," he stated.

He added that the circumstances had escalated as the individuals had retaliated: "It was a consequence of the resistance they carried out and the disproportionate use of force by the illegal group."

The governor further reported that the victims displayed by locals in the area had been "tampered with".

In a post on social media, he asserted that certain victims had been taken of tactical gear he said they had been wearing "in order to shift blame onto the police".

A law enforcement representative representing security forces also said that tactical gear, body armor, and weapons" were taken away from the casualties and displayed evidence appearing to show a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse