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Bruno Itan

A photographer who documented the consequences of a massive Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has recounted how local people came back with disfigured remains of the deceased individuals.

The victims "continued arriving: the count kept increasing", Bruno Itan reported. They included law enforcement personnel.

One of the bodies was discovered headless - while others appeared "completely mutilated", he explained. Numerous victims displayed evidence of knife injuries.

Over 120 individuals were fatally injured in the Tuesday operation against a criminal group - the bloodiest action in the city.

The photographer reported that he initially learned to the raid Tuesday morning by residents of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages informing him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The photographer traveled to a local medical facility, where the victims were coming in.

The photographer stated that law enforcement blocked media personnel from entering the affected area, where the operation was under way.

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

But Itan, who grew up in the community, reported he managed to enter past the security perimeter, where he stayed until the next morning.

He explained during the night, area inhabitants started looking the hillside that borders the Penha neighborhood from the neighboring Alemão community for relatives who had been missing since the police raid.

Community members living in Penha proceeded to place the discovered victims in a public space - and Itan's photos show the reaction of the people there.

"The harsh reality of it all shook me a lot: the pain of loved ones, women collapsing, women carrying children, weeping, outraged parents," the reporter recounted.

The eyewitness

The state leader of the state declared that the large-scale security action involving around 2,500 security personnel was intended to halting a criminal group referred to as Comando Vermelho from increasing their control.

At first, local officials stated that "60 suspects along with four officers" lost their lives in the operation.

They have since said that their "preliminary" count suggests that 117 "suspects" were fatally injured.

The public legal service, that offers legal help to low-income residents, has put the overall count of fatalities at 132.

Based on expert analysis, the gang represents the unique criminal entity that recently has succeeded to make territorial gains across the region.

It is widely considered as a major illegal faction in Brazil, together with First Capital Command, featuring a timeline spanning over five decades.

According to correspondent Rafael Soares, who has long reported on crime in Rio over many years, the gang "operates like a franchise" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and serving as "business partners".

The gang concentrates largely on narcotics distribution, but also smuggles guns, valuable minerals, petroleum products, liquor and tobacco.

According to the authorities, gang members are well armed and police said that throughout the operation, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

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

Nevertheless, the total of casualties in the operation has received condemnation from UN human rights officials stating they were "horrified".

In a media appearance the next day, the state leader justified security actions.

"It wasn't our intention to kill anyone. We intended to arrest them all alive," he stated.

He added that the circumstances worsened due to the alleged criminals had retaliated: "It was a consequence of the retaliation they implemented and the excessive violence from the gang members."

The official additionally stated that the casualties presented by community members in the neighborhood had been "manipulated".

Via a statement on social media, he asserted that certain victims had been removed of the camouflage clothing he said they had been wearing "to redirect responsibility onto the police".

Felipe Curi of Rio's civil police force also said that "camouflage clothing, protective equipment, and arms" were taken away from the victims and showed footage seemingly depicting an individual stripping military attire {off a corpse