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Bruno Itan

A reporter who documented the aftermath of an extensive law enforcement action in Rio de Janeiro has described how community members came back with mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The bodies "kept piling up: the count kept increasing", Bruno Itan described. The total contained security forces.

One of the bodies had been decapitated - others were "severely damaged", he reported. Numerous victims displayed what appeared to be knife injuries.

In excess of 120 victims were fatally injured during the security action targeting an illegal organization - the most lethal operation Rio has experienced.

Bruno Itan stated that he initially learned to the raid in the early hours by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who reached out informing him there was a shoot-out.

The reporter traveled to a local medical facility, where the bodies were arriving.

Itan explained that the police prevented journalists from going into the affected area, where the security measures was under way.

"Security forces established a perimeter and announced: 'Journalists are not allowed to pass'."

However, the photographer, who spent his childhood in the community, stated he managed to enter into the restricted zone, where he remained through the night.

He explained during the night, area inhabitants started looking the mountainous area that separates the community of Penha and the adjacent Alemão area for relatives who were unaccounted for after the operation.

Community members from the Penha area organized the recovered bodies in an open area - the photographer's images reveal the reaction of the gathered crowd.

"The violence of it all shook me profoundly: the grief of relatives, women collapsing, expectant spouses, sobbing, outraged parents," the reporter recounted.

The photographer

The official of the region declared that the massive police operation deploying about 2,500 security personnel was aimed at preventing an illegal organization called Red Command from growing their influence.

Originally, the Rio state government stated that sixty alleged criminals and four police officers" had been killed in the raid.

Authorities later reported that early calculations shows that 117 alleged criminals were fatally injured.

Rio's public defender's office, that offers legal help to low-income residents, has calculated the overall count of fatalities at 132.

Based on expert analysis, the criminal organization is the only criminal group which in recent years has succeeded to increase its control in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Experts commonly view one of the two largest gangs in Brazil, in company with First Capital Command, and has a history dating back more than 50 years.

According to reporter an expert, who has long reported on criminal activity in the city for years, Red Command "operates like a franchise" with neighborhood bosses forming part of the gang and serving as "commercial associates".

The organization concentrates largely on narcotics distribution, but also smuggles guns, valuable minerals, energy resources, alcohol smoking products.

According to the authorities, criminal affiliates possess significant weaponry and authorities stated that throughout the operation, they encountered resistance via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The state leader of the region, the political leader, characterized gang affiliates as criminal extremists and described the security forces fatally injured in the action as courageous individuals.

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

During a press briefing the next day, the official justified security actions.

"There was no objective to kill anyone. We wanted to arrest them all alive," he said.

He continued that the situation intensified because the suspects had retaliated: "It occurred of the counterattack they carried out and the overwhelming response by the illegal group."

The governor additionally stated that the casualties displayed by locals in Penha had been "manipulated".

Through a message through digital channels, he said that certain victims had been stripped of military-style attire he said they had been wearing "to redirect responsibility to security forces".

Felipe Curi from the police department additionally stated that military attire, protective equipment, and arms" had been removed from the casualties and displayed evidence apparently demonstrating a person removing tactical gear {off a corpse