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The photographer

A photographer who observed the consequences of a large-scale law enforcement action in the metropolitan area has recounted how community members came back with badly injured victims of the deceased individuals.

The bodies "kept piling up: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the eyewitness stated. The total contained those of police officers.

A particular victim was found without a head - additional victims were "completely mutilated", he reported. Several bodies showed evidence of blade trauma.

In excess of 120 victims were killed in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the most lethal operation the municipality has seen.

Bruno Itan reported that residents first notified him about the operation early on Tuesday by community members from the Alemão area, who sent him messages informing him gunfire had erupted.

The reporter traveled to the healthcare center, where the victims were being brought.

The photographer stated that security forces prevented journalists from accessing the operation zone, where the security measures were occurring.

"Law enforcement personnel established a perimeter and announced: 'Media representatives doesn't get past here'."

But Itan, who was raised in the area, reported he managed to gain access past the security perimeter, where he continued through the night.

He reported that evening, local residents started looking the mountainous area which divides the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for family members who had been missing since the police raid.

Local people from the Penha area proceeded to place the recovered bodies in a square - and Itan's photos reveal the emotions of the gathered crowd.

"The brutality of the situation shook me profoundly: the sorrow of loved ones, women collapsing, expectant spouses, sobbing, angry family members," the eyewitness remembered.

The photographer

The state leader of the region stated that the massive police operation involving around 2,500 officers was aimed at stopping a gang known as the criminal faction from expanding its territory.

Originally, local officials maintained that sixty individuals along with four officers" were fatally injured during the action.

They have since said that early calculations indicates that 117 individuals have been killed.

Rio's public defender's office, which provides legal assistance to low-income residents, has calculated the total number of fatalities at 132.

Per investigative findings, the gang is the only criminal group which in recent years has managed to expand its territory across the region.

It is generally regarded among the biggest criminal organizations nationally, in company with another major gang, featuring a timeline extending half a century.

According to Brazilian journalist a specialist, who has been covering illegal operations in Rio over many years, Red Command "operates like a franchise" with area gang leaders joining the organization and acting as "commercial associates".

The organization engages primarily in illegal drug trade, while also dealing in guns, valuable minerals, energy resources, beverages and tobacco.

According to the authorities, organization members are well armed and officials reported that during the raid, they came under attack via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The governor of the region, the political leader, characterized organization participants as drug terrorists and referred to the four police officers killed in the raid as brave public servants.

But the number of people killed during the raid has come in for criticism from international human rights authorities stating they were "horrified".

During a press briefing the next day, the state leader defended the police force.

"It wasn't our intention to cause fatalities. We aimed to detain everyone safely," he declared.

He further explained that the circumstances intensified as the individuals had retaliated: "It occurred of the counterattack they carried out and the overwhelming response by the illegal group."

The state leader additionally stated that the casualties shown by residents in the neighborhood had been "tampered with".

Via a statement on online platforms, he said that certain victims had been taken of military-style attire that he stated they possessed "to redirect responsibility onto the police".

Felipe Curi from the police department further reported that tactical gear, vests, and firearms" had been removed from the casualties and showed footage apparently demonstrating an individual removing tactical gear {off a corpse