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The eyewitness

An eyewitness who observed the results of an extensive security raid in the metropolitan area has described how community members brought back disfigured remains of people who lost their lives.

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

One of the bodies had been decapitated - additional victims were "severely damaged", he explained. Many also had evidence of blade trauma.

Over 120 individuals lost their lives during the security action against a criminal group - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen.

The photographer stated that residents first notified him to the raid in the early hours by community members from the Alemão area, who contacted him informing him there was a shoot-out.

The photographer traveled to the healthcare center, where the bodies were coming in.

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

"Security forces formed a line and said: 'Journalists cannot proceed beyond this point'."

However, the photographer, who was raised in the area, explained he was able to make his way into the cordoned-off area, where he remained until the next morning.

He reported during the night, local residents began to search the hillside that separates the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown after the operation.

Community members living in Penha organized the discovered victims in a public space - the documented evidence reveal the response of those present.

"The violence of it all shook me deeply: the sorrow of relatives, women collapsing, pregnant wives, sobbing, angry family members," the photographer recalled.

Bruno Itan

The state leader of the region stated that the extensive law enforcement effort with approximately 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at preventing a criminal group called the criminal faction from growing their influence.

Initially, the Rio state government claimed that sixty alleged criminals and four police officers" were fatally injured during the action.

Officials subsequently stated that early calculations shows that 117 "suspects" were fatally injured.

Rio's public defender's office, which provides legal assistance to disadvantaged individuals, has estimated the overall count of casualties at 132.

According to researchers, the criminal organization is the only criminal group which in recent years has succeeded to expand its territory across the region.

It is generally regarded one of the two largest gangs in Brazil, together with First Capital Command, and has a history dating back more than 50 years.

Per reporter Rafael Soares, with extensive experience documenting crime in Rio over many years, Red Command "operates like a franchise" with local criminal leaders affiliating with the group and becoming "operational allies".

The criminal group focuses mainly on narcotics distribution, but also smuggles weapons, precious metals, petroleum products, beverages cigarettes.

According to the authorities, organization members are well armed and officials reported that during the raid, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The official of the region, Cláudio Castro, labeled Red Command members as criminal extremists and referred to the law enforcement personnel fatally injured in the action as courageous individuals.

However, the count of fatalities during the raid has faced scrutiny with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights saying it was "appalled".

At a news conference on Wednesday, the official supported law enforcement.

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

He added that the situation had escalated due to the alleged criminals resisted aggressively: "It resulted of the counterattack they implemented and the excessive violence from the gang members."

The state leader also said that the bodies presented by community members in the area were "altered".

Via a statement on online platforms, he said that certain victims had been stripped of the camouflage clothing which he claimed they wore "to redirect responsibility to security forces".

A police official representing security forces additionally stated that military attire, vests, and firearms" had been removed from the victims and showed footage appearing to show a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse