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The photographer

A photographer who observed the results of a large-scale Brazilian police operation in the metropolitan area has reported how local people came back with mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The casualties "kept coming: the numbers kept rising", the photographer stated. Among them were those of police officers.

One of the bodies was found without a head - others were "completely mutilated", he said. Numerous victims displayed what appeared to be blade trauma.

Over 120 individuals were fatally injured during Tuesday's raid on a criminal gang - the bloodiest action Rio has experienced.

Bruno Itan explained that he was first alerted concerning the action early on Tuesday by community members from the Alemão area, who sent him messages alerting him gunfire had erupted.

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

The photographer stated that security forces prevented journalists from going into the affected area, where the police action were taking place.

"Security forces established a perimeter and announced: 'Media representatives are not allowed to pass'."

But Itan, who spent his childhood in that neighborhood, stated he was able to make his way into the restricted zone, where he remained until the next morning.

He explained during the night, area inhabitants commenced searching the elevated terrain that borders the Penha neighborhood from the neighboring Alemão community for family members whose whereabouts were unknown following the security action.

Residents from the Penha area proceeded to place the recovered bodies in a public space - the documented evidence reveal the emotions of the people there.

"The brutality of it all affected me profoundly: the sorrow of loved ones, women collapsing, women carrying children, weeping, angry family members," the eyewitness remembered.

Bruno Itan

The state leader of the state declared that the large-scale security action involving around 2,500 security personnel was aimed at stopping an illegal organization called the criminal faction from increasing their control.

At first, local officials claimed that sixty individuals along with four officers" lost their lives during the action.

They have since said that early calculations shows that 117 alleged criminals have been killed.

The public legal service, that offers legal help to the poor, has estimated the total number of fatalities as 132.

Per investigative findings, Red Command is the only criminal group that recently has succeeded to make territorial gains throughout Rio state.

It is generally regarded as a major illegal faction in Brazil, alongside another major gang, featuring a timeline extending half a century.

Based on correspondent a specialist, who has been covering illegal operations in Rio over many years, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with neighborhood bosses joining the organization and acting as "commercial associates".

The criminal group focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, but also smuggles guns, valuable minerals, energy resources, liquor smoking products.

Based on official reports, criminal affiliates possess significant weaponry and police said that during the raid, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The governor of Rio state, the political leader, described Red Command members as criminal extremists and called the law enforcement personnel fatally injured in the action as "heroes".

Nevertheless, the total of people killed during the raid has received condemnation from international human rights authorities saying it was "shocked".

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

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

He further explained that the events had escalated because the suspects resisted aggressively: "It was a consequence of the resistance they executed and the excessive violence from the gang members."

The governor additionally stated that the casualties shown by residents in the area were "altered".

In a post on social media, he asserted that particular individuals had been stripped of military-style attire that he stated they possessed "in order to shift blame to security forces".

A law enforcement representative representing security forces further reported that tactical gear, vests, and weapons" were taken away from the victims and showed footage appearing to show a person removing tactical gear {off a corpse