The eyewitness
A photographer who witnessed the aftermath of a large-scale Brazilian police operation in the metropolitan area has recounted how local people brought back disfigured remains of the deceased individuals.
The casualties "kept coming: the numbers kept rising", the photographer reported. The total contained security forces.
One of the bodies had been decapitated - additional victims were "totally disfigured", he reported. Many also had what appeared to be knife injuries.
More than 120 people were killed in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the deadliest such raid Rio has experienced.
The photographer stated that he was first alerted concerning the action Tuesday morning by residents living in Alemão, who reached out informing him there was a shoot-out.
The eyewitness made his way to the healthcare center, where the bodies were coming in.
The photographer stated that security forces blocked media personnel from entering the operation zone, where the police action was under way.
"Security forces established a perimeter and said: 'Media representatives are not allowed to pass'."
But Itan, who grew up in that neighborhood, reported he succeeded to make his way past the security perimeter, where he continued until the next morning.
He explained that Tuesday night, community members began to search the mountainous area that separates the Penha neighborhood from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for relatives who had been missing since the police raid.
Community members from the Penha area organized the located casualties in a public space - the photographer's images show the response of the people there.
"The harsh reality of the situation impacted me a lot: the pain of relatives, parents losing consciousness, expectant spouses, weeping, angry family members," the eyewitness remembered.
Bruno Itan
The governor of Rio state declared that the massive police operation involving around 2,500 security personnel was designed to stopping an illegal organization known as Comando Vermelho from expanding its territory.
Initially, the Rio state government claimed that sixty alleged criminals along with four officers" had been killed in the raid.
Authorities later reported that early calculations shows that 117 "suspects" were fatally injured.
Rio's public defender's office, that offers legal help to low-income residents, has put the overall count of people killed as 132.
Per investigative findings, the criminal organization represents the unique criminal entity that in the past few years has managed to expand its territory across the region.
It is generally regarded among the biggest criminal organizations in the country, alongside another major gang, and has a history extending half a century.
Based on reporter a specialist, who has been covering crime in Rio over many years, the gang "works as a system" with area gang leaders affiliating with the group and acting as "commercial associates".
The gang focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, while also dealing in weapons, gold, energy resources, alcohol cigarettes.
Based on official reports, criminal affiliates have substantial firearms and police said that during the raid, they came under attack using drone-delivered explosives.
The governor of the state, the government representative, described gang affiliates as "narcoterrorists" and described the security forces fatally injured in the action as "heroes".
Nevertheless, the total of people killed in the operation has faced scrutiny from UN human rights officials stating they were "shocked".
At a news conference the following day, the state leader supported law enforcement.
"There was no objective to cause fatalities. We intended to detain everyone safely," he said.
He added that the circumstances had escalated as the individuals fought back: "It occurred of the retaliation they executed and the overwhelming response by those criminals."
The governor also said that the casualties presented by community members in the neighborhood had been "manipulated".
In a post on social media, he said that some of them had been removed of tactical gear which he claimed they wore "to redirect responsibility to security forces".
A police official representing security forces also said that military attire, protective equipment, and firearms" were taken away from the victims and displayed evidence appearing to show an individual removing tactical gear {off a corpse
