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The photographer

An eyewitness who witnessed the consequences of an extensive Brazilian police operation in the Brazilian city has described how community members brought back mutilated bodies of those who had died.

The bodies "continued arriving: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", Bruno Itan reported. The total contained security forces.

A particular victim was found without a head - additional victims were "completely mutilated", he explained. Numerous victims displayed what appeared to be knife injuries.

In excess of 120 victims lost their lives in the Tuesday operation on a criminal gang - the most lethal operation the municipality has seen.

The eyewitness reported that he initially learned concerning the action early on Tuesday by community members from the Alemão area, who contacted him telling him gunfire had erupted.

The reporter traveled to a local medical facility, where the victims were coming in.

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

"Security forces formed a line and announced: 'Media representatives cannot proceed beyond this point'."

But Itan, who spent his childhood in the community, explained he succeeded to make his way into the restricted zone, where he stayed through the night.

He explained that Tuesday night, community members started looking the hillside that borders the community of Penha and the adjacent Alemão area for loved ones who had been missing since the police raid.

Community members living in Penha proceeded to place the located casualties in an open area - the photographer's images display the emotions of the people there.

"The brutality of what occurred affected me deeply: the pain of the families, mothers fainting, expectant spouses, sobbing, outraged parents," the eyewitness remembered.

The photographer

The official of the state announced that the massive police operation involving around 2,500 security personnel was aimed at preventing a criminal group known as Comando Vermelho from increasing their control.

Initially, local officials claimed that sixty individuals and four police officers" lost their lives in the raid.

Authorities later reported that early calculations indicates that 117 alleged criminals were fatally injured.

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has estimated the final tally of people killed to be 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization stands as the sole illegal faction that in the past few years has managed to increase its control across the region.

It is generally regarded as a major illegal faction in the country, in company with a rival criminal group, featuring a timeline spanning over five decades.

According to correspondent Rafael Soares, with extensive experience documenting crime in Rio over many years, the gang "operates like a franchise" with area gang leaders forming part of the gang and serving as "business partners".

The gang engages primarily in drug trafficking, additionally trafficking firearms, gold, petroleum products, alcohol cigarettes.

According to the authorities, criminal affiliates are well armed and officials reported that during the raid, they faced assaults from explosive-laden drones.

The official of the region, Cláudio Castro, labeled gang affiliates as "narcoterrorists" and referred to the security forces who died during the operation as "heroes".

Nevertheless, the total of casualties during the raid has faced scrutiny from international human rights authorities stating they were "appalled".

At a news conference the following day, the official justified security actions.

"We did not plan to cause fatalities. We aimed to take suspects into custody without harm," he stated.

He further explained that the situation intensified because the suspects had retaliated: "It occurred of the resistance they executed and the overwhelming response by the illegal group."

The state leader further reported that the bodies displayed by locals in Penha were "altered".

In a post through digital channels, he asserted that certain victims had been taken of military-style attire which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation toward law enforcement".

A law enforcement representative from the police department additionally stated that tactical gear, protective equipment, and weapons" had been removed from the casualties and presented video appearing to show an individual removing tactical gear {off a corpse