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The photographer

A reporter who observed the results of a massive law enforcement action in the Brazilian city has described how residents returned with mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The victims "kept coming: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the eyewitness described. The total contained security forces.

One individual had been decapitated - others were "severely damaged", he reported. Many also had what he described as stab wounds.

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

Bruno Itan stated that he was first alerted to the raid in the early hours by local people from the Alemão area, who contacted him alerting him gunfire had erupted.

The photographer went to the healthcare center, where the victims were coming in.

The eyewitness reported that the police prevented journalists from going into the Penha neighborhood, where the police action were taking place.

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

But Itan, who grew up in the community, explained he managed to make his way past the security perimeter, where he remained through the night.

He reported during the night, community members began to search the hillside which divides the Penha neighborhood from the neighboring Alemão community for family members whose whereabouts were unknown since the police raid.

Community members living in Penha organized the discovered victims in an open area - the photographer's images display the reaction of the gathered crowd.

"The violence of the situation affected me deeply: the sorrow of loved ones, parents losing consciousness, expectant spouses, crying, furious relatives," the photographer recalled.

The photographer

The state leader of Rio state stated that the massive police operation deploying about 2,500 security personnel was intended to preventing a criminal group known as the criminal faction from increasing their control.

At first, local officials maintained that sixty individuals along with four officers" lost their lives in the operation.

They have since said that initial estimates suggests that 117 individuals lost their lives.

The legal assistance organization, that offers legal help to disadvantaged individuals, has estimated the overall count of people killed at 132.

Per investigative findings, Red Command represents the unique criminal entity which in recent years has been able to increase its control across the region.

Experts commonly view one of the two largest gangs nationally, together with a rival criminal group, featuring a timeline dating back more than 50 years.

According to reporter a specialist, with extensive experience documenting criminal activity in the city over many years, the gang "operates like a franchise" with neighborhood bosses forming part of the gang and acting as "operational allies".

The organization concentrates largely on drug trafficking, but also smuggles firearms, valuable minerals, petroleum products, beverages cigarettes.

According to the authorities, organization members are well armed and authorities stated 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 described the law enforcement personnel fatally injured in the action as brave public servants.

Nevertheless, the total of people killed in the operation has faced scrutiny from UN human rights officials saying it was "shocked".

In a media appearance the next day, the official supported law enforcement.

"We did not plan to result in deaths. We aimed to arrest them all alive," he declared.

He further explained that the circumstances worsened as the individuals had retaliated: "It was a consequence of the counterattack they implemented and the disproportionate use of force by the illegal group."

The governor further reported that the bodies presented by community members in the neighborhood had been "tampered with".

In a post through digital channels, he claimed that particular individuals had been stripped of the camouflage clothing that he stated they possessed "to redirect responsibility toward law enforcement".

Felipe Curi representing security forces additionally stated that "camouflage clothing, body armor, and firearms" were stripped from the victims and showed footage seemingly depicting a person removing tactical gear {off a corpse