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The photographer

An eyewitness who observed the aftermath of an extensive law enforcement action in the Brazilian city has recounted how community members came back with mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The bodies "continued arriving: the numbers kept rising", Bruno Itan stated. They included security forces.

One individual had been decapitated - while others appeared "severely damaged", he reported. Numerous victims displayed evidence of stab wounds.

In excess of 120 victims were killed during Tuesday's raid on a criminal gang - the most lethal operation Rio has experienced.

Bruno Itan stated that he was first alerted concerning the action early on Tuesday by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who reached out informing him there was a shoot-out.

The photographer made his way to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the bodies were arriving.

The eyewitness reported that the police blocked media personnel from entering the operation zone, where the operation was under way.

"Security forces formed a line and declared: 'The press doesn't get past here'."

But Itan, who was raised in that neighborhood, explained he succeeded to gain access into the cordoned-off area, where he continued through the night.

He reported that evening, local residents started looking the hillside that separates Penha from the adjacent Alemão area for relatives who were unaccounted for after the operation.

Residents living in Penha proceeded to place the located casualties in a square - and Itan's photos display the emotions of the gathered crowd.

"The brutality of the situation impacted me profoundly: the pain of loved ones, parents losing consciousness, women carrying children, crying, outraged parents," the reporter recounted.

The eyewitness

The state leader of the region stated that the extensive law enforcement effort involving around 2,500 security personnel was designed to preventing an illegal organization called Red Command from increasing their control.

At first, local officials claimed that sixty alleged criminals and four police officers" were fatally injured during the action.

They have since said that initial estimates indicates that 117 individuals were fatally injured.

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has put the final tally of people killed at 132.

Per investigative findings, the gang stands as the sole illegal faction that recently has managed to make territorial gains throughout Rio state.

Experts commonly view as a major illegal faction nationally, together with First Capital Command, featuring a timeline extending half a century.

Per correspondent a specialist, who has long reported on crime in Rio extensively, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with local criminal leaders joining the organization and serving as "business partners".

The gang focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, additionally trafficking guns, gold, petroleum products, liquor cigarettes.

Based on official reports, criminal affiliates have substantial firearms and police said that throughout the operation, they came under attack via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The state leader of the region, the political leader, characterized gang affiliates as drug terrorists and described the law enforcement personnel fatally injured in the action as brave public servants.

However, the count of fatalities in the security action has received condemnation from international human rights authorities expressing they felt "shocked".

At a news conference 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 said.

He added that the events intensified as the individuals had retaliated: "It was a consequence of the resistance they executed and the overwhelming response by those criminals."

The official also said that the bodies presented by community members in Penha had been "manipulated".

Through a message through digital channels, he said that particular individuals had been removed of tactical gear that he stated they possessed "to transfer accusation onto the police".

Felipe Curi from the police department also said that "camouflage clothing, body armor, and arms" were stripped from the casualties and showed footage apparently demonstrating an individual cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse