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The eyewitness

A photographer who observed the consequences of an extensive security raid in the metropolitan area has recounted how residents brought back disfigured remains of the deceased individuals.

The bodies "continued arriving: the count kept increasing", the photographer reported. They included law enforcement personnel.

One individual had been decapitated - others were "severely damaged", he explained. Several bodies showed evidence of blade trauma.

Over 120 individuals lost their lives in the Tuesday operation against a criminal group - the deadliest such raid the municipality has seen.

Bruno Itan reported that residents first notified him to the raid early on Tuesday by local people from the Alemão area, who sent him messages telling him gunfire had erupted.

The eyewitness made his way to the healthcare center, where the casualties were arriving.

The photographer stated that the police blocked media personnel from entering the Penha neighborhood, where the security measures was under way.

"Security forces formed a line and announced: 'Journalists cannot proceed beyond this point'."

However, the photographer, who spent his childhood in the area, reported he succeeded to make his way into the restricted zone, where he continued through the night.

He reported that evening, local residents commenced searching the hillside that borders the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for loved ones whose whereabouts were unknown following the security action.

Local people of the Penha neighbourhood organized the recovered bodies in a public space - the photographer's images display the response of the gathered crowd.

"The harsh reality of what occurred shook me a lot: the sorrow of the families, parents losing consciousness, pregnant wives, sobbing, furious relatives," the reporter recounted.

Bruno Itan

The official of the state declared that the large-scale security action deploying about 2,500 security personnel was aimed at stopping an illegal organization called the criminal faction from growing their influence.

At first, the Rio state government stated that sixty individuals along with four officers" lost their lives during the action.

Officials subsequently stated that their "preliminary" count indicates that 117 "suspects" lost their lives.

The public legal service, that offers legal help to the poor, has estimated the overall count of fatalities at 132.

Per investigative findings, Red Command stands as the sole illegal faction which in recent years has managed to increase its control across the region.

It is generally regarded one of the two largest gangs nationally, alongside another major gang, featuring a timeline dating back more than 50 years.

According to correspondent an expert, with extensive experience documenting crime in Rio for years, the criminal organization "works as a system" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and serving as "operational allies".

The criminal group focuses mainly on drug trafficking, additionally trafficking weapons, precious metals, petroleum products, beverages and tobacco.

According to the authorities, organization members have substantial firearms and officials reported that while the action was underway, they faced assaults using drone-delivered explosives.

The official of Rio state, the government representative, characterized organization participants as drug terrorists and called the law enforcement personnel who died during the operation as brave public servants.

But the number of fatalities in the security action has faced scrutiny with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights saying it was "horrified".

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

"We did not plan to cause fatalities. We intended to take suspects into custody without harm," he declared.

He added that the situation worsened as the individuals fought back: "It was a consequence of the counterattack they carried out and the excessive violence from the gang members."

The official also said that the casualties displayed by locals in the neighborhood had been "tampered with".

Through a message through digital channels, he asserted that some of them had been removed of tactical gear that he stated they possessed "to transfer accusation toward law enforcement".

A law enforcement representative from the police department further reported that military attire, protective equipment, and firearms" were stripped from the bodies and showed footage apparently demonstrating a person cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse