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The photographer

An eyewitness who witnessed the results of an extensive Brazilian police operation in the metropolitan area has described how local people came back with disfigured remains of the deceased individuals.

The casualties "kept coming: the numbers kept rising", the photographer described. Among them were security forces.

A particular victim was discovered headless - additional victims were "severely damaged", he said. Many also had evidence of knife injuries.

More than 120 people lost their lives during Tuesday's raid on a criminal gang - the deadliest such raid in the city.

Bruno Itan reported that he initially learned concerning the action Tuesday morning by residents from the Alemão area, who sent him messages alerting him gunfire had erupted.

The eyewitness made his way to a local medical facility, where the victims were coming in.

Itan explained that law enforcement stopped members of the press from going into the affected area, where the security measures was under way.

"Police officers established a perimeter and announced: 'Journalists are not allowed to pass'."

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

He reported that evening, local residents commenced searching the mountainous area that borders Penha from the adjacent Alemão area for relatives who were unaccounted for after the operation.

Local people from the Penha area proceeded to place the recovered bodies in a public space - and Itan's photos show the reaction of those present.

"The violence of it all impacted me deeply: the pain of the families, women collapsing, women carrying children, weeping, outraged parents," the eyewitness remembered.

The photographer

The governor of Rio state declared that the extensive law enforcement effort involving around 2,500 security personnel was intended to stopping an illegal organization referred to as the criminal faction from expanding its territory.

At first, local officials maintained that "60 suspects plus four law enforcement personnel" were fatally injured during the action.

Authorities later reported that early calculations shows that 117 "suspects" have been killed.

The legal assistance organization, that offers legal help to low-income residents, has calculated the final tally of casualties to be 132.

According to researchers, the criminal organization represents the unique criminal entity which in recent years has managed to increase its control in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is widely considered among the biggest criminal organizations in the country, in company with a rival criminal group, featuring a timeline extending half a century.

Per Brazilian journalist Rafael Soares, who has long reported on crime in Rio over many years, the gang "operates like a franchise" with neighborhood bosses affiliating with the group and acting as "operational allies".

The gang focuses mainly on drug trafficking, additionally trafficking firearms, precious metals, energy resources, alcohol and tobacco.

Per law enforcement statements, gang members possess significant weaponry and police said that during the raid, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The state leader of Rio state, the political leader, characterized Red Command members as "narcoterrorists" and described the law enforcement personnel killed in the raid as courageous individuals.

However, the count of people killed in the security action has faced scrutiny with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stating they were "horrified".

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

"There was no objective to kill anyone. We intended to detain everyone safely," he said.

He continued that the events intensified due to the alleged criminals resisted aggressively: "It was a consequence of the retaliation they carried out and the excessive violence from the gang members."

The state leader further reported that the victims presented by community members in the neighborhood had been "tampered with".

Through a message on online platforms, he claimed that certain victims had been stripped of military-style attire that he stated they possessed "to transfer accusation onto the police".

Felipe Curi representing security forces also said that military attire, vests, and arms" were taken away from the casualties and presented video appearing to show a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse