A photographer who witnessed the aftermath of a massive Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has told the BBC of how residents came back with mutilated bodies of those who had died. The bodies kept coming: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45..., Bruno Itan told BBC Brasil. They included those of police officers. One of the bodies had been decapitated - others were totally disfigured, he said. Many also had what he says were stab wounds. More than 120 people were killed during Tuesday's raid on a criminal gang - the deadliest such raid in the city.

Bruno Itan was alerted to the raid early on Tuesday by residents of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages telling him there was a shoot-out. He made his way to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the bodies were arriving. The police stopped members of the press from entering the Penha neighborhood, but Itan, who grew up in the area, managed to gain access.

Residents proceeded to place the recovered bodies in a square, and Itan's photos show the reactions of grieving families. The brutality impacted him: the sorrow of the families, mothers fainting, pregnant wives, crying, outraged parents, he recalled. The Brazilian police operation aimed to stop the gang Comando Vermelho from expanding its territory. The number of casualties has drawn criticism, with the UN expressing horror. Rio's governor defended the police, claiming they did not intend to kill anyone and highlighted the hostile response from the suspects.