The casualties continued piling up - photographer recounts fatal Rio security action

The eyewitness

A photographer who documented the consequences of an extensive Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has reported how community members brought back disfigured remains of those who had died.

The victims "kept piling up: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the eyewitness stated. Among them were law enforcement personnel.

A particular victim was found without a head - others were "totally disfigured", he said. Numerous victims displayed what he described as stab wounds.

Over 120 individuals were killed during the security action on a criminal gang - the most lethal operation in the city.

The eyewitness reported that residents first notified him to the raid in the early hours by local people from the Alemão area, who reached out informing him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The photographer traveled to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the bodies were arriving.

The eyewitness reported that law enforcement blocked media personnel from accessing the Penha neighborhood, where the operation were occurring.

"Law enforcement personnel created a barrier and said: 'The press doesn't get past here'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who grew up in the area, stated he managed to gain access into the cordoned-off area, where he continued through the night.

He reported that evening, community members began to search the elevated terrain which divides the Penha neighborhood from the neighboring Alemão community for family members whose whereabouts were unknown since the police raid.

Local people from the Penha area proceeded to place the located casualties in an open area - and Itan's photos display the response of the gathered crowd.

"The violence of the situation impacted me deeply: the grief of relatives, parents losing consciousness, expectant spouses, sobbing, furious relatives," the eyewitness remembered.

The eyewitness

The state leader of the state declared that the massive police operation involving around 2,500 officers was designed to stopping an illegal organization known as Comando Vermelho from increasing their control.

Originally, state authorities maintained that "60 suspects plus four law enforcement personnel" lost their lives in the operation.

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

The legal assistance organization, which provides legal assistance to disadvantaged individuals, has estimated the total number of casualties at 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization represents the unique criminal entity which in recent years has managed to make territorial gains throughout Rio state.

It is widely considered as a major illegal faction in Brazil, together with a rival criminal group, and has a history dating back more than 50 years.

Per reporter an expert, who has been covering criminal activity in the city over many years, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with neighborhood bosses forming part of the gang and serving as "commercial associates".

The gang focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, while also dealing in firearms, precious metals, petroleum products, alcohol cigarettes.

Based on official reports, criminal affiliates possess significant weaponry and officials reported that during the raid, they faced assaults from explosive-laden drones.

The official of the state, Cláudio Castro, characterized organization participants as drug terrorists and described the four police officers fatally injured in the action as brave public servants.

However, the count of casualties in the security action has come in for criticism with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights saying it was "appalled".

In a media appearance on Wednesday, the official supported law enforcement.

"There was no objective to result in deaths. We wanted to detain everyone safely," he said.

He continued that the events had escalated because the suspects resisted aggressively: "It occurred of the counterattack they implemented and the overwhelming response by the illegal group."

The official also said that the victims displayed by locals in the neighborhood were "altered".

In a post on social media, he said that certain victims had been stripped of the camouflage clothing that he stated they possessed "in order to shift blame to security forces".

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