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Bruno Itan

A photographer who witnessed the consequences of a massive law enforcement action in Rio de Janeiro has described how community members brought back badly injured victims of people who lost their lives.

The victims "kept piling up: the count kept increasing", the photographer stated. The total contained law enforcement personnel.

A particular victim was discovered headless - additional victims were "completely mutilated", he explained. Several bodies showed what he described as stab wounds.

In excess of 120 victims lost their lives during the security action against a criminal group - the most lethal operation Rio has experienced.

Bruno Itan stated that he was first alerted about the operation early on Tuesday by residents of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages alerting him there was a shoot-out.

The eyewitness went to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the victims were being brought.

Itan explained that law enforcement prevented journalists from going into the affected area, where the operation was under way.

"Security forces established a perimeter and declared: 'Media representatives are not allowed to pass'."

However, the photographer, who grew up in that neighborhood, stated he succeeded to make his way into the cordoned-off area, where he stayed through the night.

He described during the night, community members started looking the elevated terrain which divides the community of Penha and the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for loved ones who had been missing following the security action.

Residents living in Penha arranged the located casualties in a square - and Itan's photos reveal the reaction of the gathered crowd.

"The harsh reality of the situation impacted me deeply: the pain of loved ones, mothers fainting, women carrying children, weeping, outraged parents," the photographer recalled.

The photographer

The official of the region announced that the extensive law enforcement effort with approximately 2,500 law enforcement members was designed to preventing an illegal organization referred to as Comando Vermelho from expanding its territory.

At first, state authorities stated that sixty individuals plus four law enforcement personnel" were fatally injured during the action.

Authorities later reported that their "preliminary" count indicates that 117 alleged criminals lost their lives.

The public legal service, that gives legal support to disadvantaged individuals, has calculated the total number of casualties at 132.

Based on expert analysis, the gang 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 among the biggest criminal organizations in Brazil, alongside another major gang, with a background extending half a century.

According to reporter an expert, who has been covering illegal operations in Rio for years, Red Command "operates like a franchise" with neighborhood bosses forming part of the gang and serving as "operational allies".

The criminal group focuses mainly on narcotics distribution, while also dealing in weapons, valuable minerals, fuel, liquor cigarettes.

Per law enforcement statements, gang members have substantial firearms and police said that throughout the operation, they faced assaults using drone-delivered explosives.

The official of the state, Cláudio Castro, characterized Red Command members as "narcoterrorists" and referred to the law enforcement personnel fatally injured in the action as brave public servants.

But the number of casualties in the security action has come in for criticism from UN human rights officials saying it was "horrified".

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

"It wasn't our intention to kill anyone. We aimed to detain everyone safely," he stated.

He further explained that the events had escalated as the individuals had retaliated: "It was a consequence of the counterattack they carried out and the disproportionate use of force from the gang members."

The governor also said that the casualties displayed by locals in the area had been "manipulated".

In a post on social media, he asserted that particular individuals had been removed of tactical gear which he claimed they wore "in order to shift blame onto the police".

A law enforcement representative from the police department further reported that military attire, body armor, and firearms" had been removed from the victims and showed footage appearing to show a man removing tactical gear {off a corpse