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The photographer

A reporter who witnessed the aftermath of a large-scale Brazilian police operation in the metropolitan area has recounted how residents brought back disfigured remains of people who lost their lives.

The bodies "kept coming: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the eyewitness described. The total contained law enforcement personnel.

One of the bodies was discovered headless - while others appeared "completely mutilated", he said. Numerous victims displayed what he described as stab wounds.

Over 120 individuals were fatally injured in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the deadliest such raid Rio has experienced.

Bruno Itan stated that he was first alerted concerning the action in the early hours by community members from the Alemão area, who contacted him telling him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The eyewitness went to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the bodies were arriving.

Itan explained that law enforcement prevented journalists from entering the operation zone, where the security measures was under way.

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

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who was raised in the community, reported he was able to enter into the cordoned-off area, where he remained until the next morning.

He described during the night, area inhabitants began to search the mountainous area that borders Penha from the neighboring Alemão community for family members who had been missing following the security action.

Community members from the Penha area arranged the located casualties in an open area - the photographer's images display the response of the people there.

"The brutality of what occurred shook me profoundly: the pain of loved ones, women collapsing, expectant spouses, crying, furious relatives," the eyewitness remembered.

Bruno Itan

The official of Rio state declared that the massive police operation with approximately 2,500 security personnel was designed to halting an illegal organization called the criminal faction from increasing their control.

At first, the Rio state government claimed that sixty individuals and four police officers" were fatally injured in the raid.

Officials subsequently stated that initial estimates suggests that 117 "suspects" have been killed.

The public legal service, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has estimated the final tally of people killed at 132.

According to researchers, the criminal organization is the only criminal group that recently has been able to increase its control in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Experts commonly view as a major illegal faction in the country, alongside another major gang, featuring a timeline extending half a century.

According to Brazilian journalist a specialist, who has long reported on illegal operations in Rio for years, Red Command "works as a system" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and becoming "business partners".

The organization focuses mainly on narcotics distribution, additionally trafficking weapons, valuable minerals, energy resources, alcohol and tobacco.

Based on official reports, criminal affiliates have substantial firearms and officials reported that during the raid, they encountered resistance from explosive-laden drones.

The official of Rio state, the political leader, labeled Red Command members as "narcoterrorists" and referred to the four police officers fatally injured in the action as "heroes".

However, the count of fatalities in the operation has faced scrutiny from international human rights authorities saying it was "horrified".

During a press briefing the next day, Governor Castro supported law enforcement.

"There was no objective to cause fatalities. We wanted to take suspects into custody without harm," he said.

He further explained that the situation had escalated due to the alleged criminals had retaliated: "It resulted of the retaliation they implemented and the disproportionate use of force by those criminals."

The state leader further reported that the casualties shown by residents in the neighborhood were "altered".

Through a message on social media, he asserted that certain victims had been taken of military-style attire he said they had been wearing "to transfer accusation toward law enforcement".

Felipe Curi representing security forces further reported that "camouflage clothing, protective equipment, and arms" had been removed from the victims and presented video apparently demonstrating a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse