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The photographer

An eyewitness who observed the results of a large-scale security raid in the Brazilian city has reported how residents returned with badly injured victims of people who lost their lives.

The bodies "kept piling up: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", Bruno Itan stated. They included those of police officers.

One of the bodies had been decapitated - while others appeared "completely mutilated", he said. Several bodies showed evidence of blade trauma.

Over 120 individuals were killed in the Tuesday operation against a criminal group - the bloodiest action in the city.

Bruno Itan reported that residents first notified him concerning the action in the early hours by community members from the Alemão area, who reached out informing him there was a shoot-out.

The eyewitness traveled to the healthcare center, where the victims were coming in.

Itan explained that law enforcement blocked media personnel from accessing the operation zone, where the security measures were taking place.

"Police officers created a barrier and announced: 'Media representatives cannot proceed beyond this point'."

But Itan, who was raised in the area, explained he was able to gain access into the cordoned-off area, where he remained until dawn.

He described during the night, area inhabitants began to search the elevated terrain which divides Penha from the adjacent Alemão area for relatives who had been missing following the security action.

Community members living in Penha proceeded to place the located casualties in a public space - the photographer's images reveal the emotions of the gathered crowd.

"The harsh reality of it all shook me profoundly: the pain of loved ones, mothers fainting, pregnant wives, weeping, angry family members," the photographer recalled.

The eyewitness

The state leader of the region announced that the massive police operation with approximately 2,500 officers was designed to preventing an illegal organization called Red Command from increasing their control.

Originally, the Rio state government maintained that "60 suspects and four police officers" had been killed in the operation.

Authorities later reported that their "preliminary" count shows that 117 "suspects" lost their lives.

Rio's public defender's office, which provides legal assistance to the poor, has calculated the overall count of people killed as 132.

According to researchers, the gang represents the unique criminal entity that in the past few years has managed to expand its territory in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is generally regarded among the biggest criminal organizations nationally, in company with a rival criminal group, and has a history extending half a century.

Based on correspondent Rafael Soares, with extensive experience documenting crime in Rio for years, the criminal organization "functions as a network" with area gang leaders joining the organization and becoming "commercial associates".

The criminal group focuses mainly on narcotics distribution, while also dealing in firearms, gold, energy resources, beverages cigarettes.

Based on official reports, organization members have substantial firearms and authorities stated that during the raid, they encountered resistance using drone-delivered explosives.

The governor of Rio state, the political leader, described organization participants as drug terrorists and called the law enforcement personnel who died during the operation as brave public servants.

Nevertheless, the total of people killed in the security action has come in for criticism from UN human rights officials expressing they felt "appalled".

In a media appearance the following day, the official justified security actions.

"We did not plan to kill anyone. We aimed to arrest them all alive," he stated.

He continued that the events intensified as the individuals fought back: "It resulted of the resistance they executed and the excessive violence by those criminals."

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

In a post on social media, he asserted that particular individuals had been stripped of the camouflage clothing which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation to security forces".

A law enforcement representative of Rio's civil police force further reported that military attire, body armor, and firearms" had been removed from the bodies and displayed evidence seemingly depicting a person removing tactical gear {off a corpse