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The photographer

A photographer who witnessed the consequences of a large-scale law enforcement action in the Brazilian city has recounted how residents brought back mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The victims "kept piling up: the count kept increasing", the eyewitness stated. They included security forces.

A particular victim was discovered headless - additional victims were "completely mutilated", he said. Numerous victims displayed what appeared to be stab wounds.

Over 120 individuals were fatally injured during the security action against a criminal group - the deadliest such raid the municipality has seen.

Bruno Itan stated that he initially learned about the operation early on Tuesday by community members living in Alemão, who sent him messages informing him an armed confrontation was occurring.

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

Itan explained that security forces blocked media personnel from accessing the affected area, where the operation was under way.

"Law enforcement personnel formed a line and said: 'Journalists cannot proceed beyond this point'."

However, the photographer, who spent his childhood in that neighborhood, stated he was able to make his way into the cordoned-off area, where he remained until dawn.

He reported that Tuesday night, community members began to search the hillside that borders the community of Penha and the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for relatives who were unaccounted for after the operation.

Local people from the Penha area organized the discovered victims in an open area - the photographer's images reveal the emotions of the people there.

"The harsh reality of what occurred shook me deeply: the sorrow of loved ones, mothers fainting, pregnant wives, weeping, angry family members," the reporter recounted.

The photographer

The official of the state declared that the extensive law enforcement effort deploying about 2,500 law enforcement members was designed to preventing a gang referred to as Red Command from expanding its territory.

Originally, local officials stated that "60 suspects along with four officers" had been killed in the raid.

Officials subsequently stated that their "preliminary" count shows that 117 "suspects" lost their lives.

The legal assistance organization, that offers legal help to the poor, has calculated the total number of casualties at 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization represents the unique criminal entity that in the past few years has been able to make territorial gains in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is generally regarded as a major illegal faction nationally, together with another major gang, and has a history extending half a century.

According to correspondent Rafael Soares, who has been covering criminal activity in the city over many years, Red Command "functions as a network" with area gang leaders joining the organization and becoming "operational allies".

The criminal group focuses mainly on drug trafficking, but also smuggles firearms, valuable minerals, energy resources, alcohol and tobacco.

Per law enforcement statements, criminal affiliates possess significant weaponry and police said that throughout the operation, they came under attack using drone-delivered explosives.

The state leader of Rio state, the government representative, characterized Red Command members as criminal extremists and referred to the security forces killed in the raid as courageous individuals.

However, the count of casualties during the raid has come in for criticism with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressing they felt "shocked".

At a news conference the next day, the state leader supported law enforcement.

"It wasn't our intention to kill anyone. We intended to take suspects into custody without harm," he said.

He added that the events intensified due to the alleged criminals had retaliated: "It occurred of the retaliation they executed and the overwhelming response by those criminals."

The governor also said that the casualties shown by residents in the area had been "tampered with".

Through a message through digital channels, he asserted that some of them had been removed of military-style attire which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation onto the police".

A police official from the police department additionally stated that tactical gear, body armor, and weapons" had been removed from the bodies and displayed evidence seemingly depicting a person cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse