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The eyewitness

A reporter who observed the consequences of an extensive Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has reported how local people came back with badly injured victims of the deceased individuals.

The casualties "kept piling up: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the eyewitness reported. They included those of police officers.

One individual was discovered headless - additional victims were "severely damaged", he said. Numerous victims displayed evidence of stab wounds.

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

The photographer reported that residents first notified him concerning the action Tuesday morning by local people living in Alemão, who sent him messages informing him gunfire had erupted.

The reporter made his way to the healthcare center, where the victims were arriving.

The eyewitness reported that security forces blocked media personnel from accessing the operation zone, where the police action were taking place.

"Security forces established a perimeter and said: 'Journalists cannot proceed beyond this point'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who was raised in the area, reported he succeeded to enter into the cordoned-off area, where he remained until dawn.

He explained during the night, local residents began to search the mountainous area that borders Penha from the neighboring Alemão community for relatives who had been missing following the security action.

Residents living in Penha arranged the located casualties in an open area - the documented evidence reveal the response of the people there.

"The brutality of it all shook me deeply: the pain of relatives, mothers fainting, women carrying children, weeping, outraged parents," the reporter recounted.

The photographer

The official of the state declared that the extensive law enforcement effort involving around 2,500 security personnel was designed to halting an illegal organization known as Comando Vermelho from increasing their control.

At first, the Rio state government claimed that "60 suspects and four police officers" were fatally injured during the action.

Officials subsequently stated that early calculations suggests that 117 alleged criminals were fatally injured.

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to disadvantaged individuals, has estimated the final tally of people killed as 132.

According to researchers, the gang represents the unique criminal entity which in recent years has succeeded to expand its territory in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Experts commonly view as a major illegal faction in Brazil, alongside a rival criminal group, and has a history dating back more than 50 years.

Based on correspondent an expert, who has long reported on illegal operations in Rio extensively, the gang "functions as a network" with local criminal leaders affiliating with the group and serving as "business partners".

The organization focuses mainly on narcotics distribution, but also smuggles guns, valuable minerals, energy resources, liquor and tobacco.

According to the authorities, criminal affiliates are well armed and police said that during the raid, they encountered resistance via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The governor of the region, the government representative, characterized gang affiliates as drug terrorists and called the law enforcement personnel killed in the raid as courageous individuals.

Nevertheless, the total of people killed during the raid has come in for criticism from UN human rights officials expressing they felt "horrified".

In a media appearance the following day, the official supported law enforcement.

"We did not plan to cause fatalities. We wanted to take suspects into custody without harm," he declared.

He continued that the circumstances had escalated as the individuals resisted aggressively: "It occurred of the counterattack they implemented and the excessive violence by those criminals."

The governor further reported that the casualties displayed by locals in Penha had been "manipulated".

Through a message on social media, he claimed that certain victims had been stripped of military-style attire that he stated they possessed "in order to shift blame onto the police".

A law enforcement representative representing security forces further reported that "camouflage clothing, vests, and arms" were stripped from the victims and displayed evidence appearing to show a person removing tactical gear {off a corpse