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Bruno Itan

A reporter who witnessed the results of a massive security raid in Rio de Janeiro has described how local people brought back badly injured victims of people who lost their lives.

The victims "continued arriving: the count kept increasing", the eyewitness described. They included security forces.

One individual had been decapitated - additional victims were "totally disfigured", he reported. Several bodies showed what he described as stab wounds.

Over 120 individuals lost their lives in the Tuesday operation on a criminal gang - the most lethal operation the municipality has seen.

The photographer explained that he initially learned concerning the action in the early hours by residents of the Alemão neighbourhood, who reached out informing him there was a shoot-out.

The eyewitness traveled to a local medical facility, where the victims were arriving.

The eyewitness reported that law enforcement blocked media personnel from accessing the affected area, where the police action were taking place.

"Security forces established a perimeter and said: 'The press are not allowed to pass'."

But Itan, who was raised in that neighborhood, reported he succeeded to enter past the security perimeter, where he stayed through the night.

He reported during the night, area inhabitants commenced searching the hillside which divides Penha from the adjacent Alemão area for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown since the police raid.

Local people living in Penha proceeded to place the recovered bodies in an open area - the photographer's images display the emotions of those present.

"The harsh reality of what occurred impacted me profoundly: the sorrow of relatives, parents losing consciousness, pregnant wives, crying, angry family members," the eyewitness remembered.

The eyewitness

The official of the state stated that the large-scale security action deploying about 2,500 security personnel was intended to stopping an illegal organization referred to as Red Command from increasing their control.

Initially, the Rio state government stated that sixty individuals along with four officers" were fatally injured in the raid.

They have since said that early calculations shows that 117 "suspects" were fatally injured.

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to disadvantaged individuals, has estimated the final tally of fatalities at 132.

Based on expert analysis, the criminal organization stands as the sole illegal faction that recently has managed to increase its control across the region.

It is generally regarded one of the two largest gangs nationally, together with another major gang, featuring a timeline extending half a century.

Per correspondent Rafael Soares, who has been covering criminal activity in the city over many years, the criminal organization "functions as a network" with neighborhood bosses joining the organization and acting as "business partners".

The criminal group focuses mainly on narcotics distribution, while also dealing in weapons, precious metals, petroleum products, liquor smoking products.

According to the authorities, criminal affiliates are well armed and authorities stated that while the action was underway, they faced assaults from explosive-laden drones.

The state leader of the state, Cláudio Castro, characterized gang affiliates as drug terrorists and described the law enforcement personnel who died during the operation as "heroes".

However, the count of fatalities in the operation has come in for criticism from UN human rights officials expressing they felt "horrified".

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

"There was no objective to kill anyone. We aimed to detain everyone safely," he said.

He further explained that the situation intensified due to the alleged criminals resisted aggressively: "It was a consequence of the retaliation they implemented and the disproportionate use of force from the gang members."

The official also said that the victims presented by community members in the neighborhood were "altered".

Via a statement on online platforms, he said that some of them had been removed of tactical gear that he stated they possessed "in order to shift blame toward law enforcement".

A law enforcement representative representing security forces further reported that "camouflage clothing, protective equipment, and firearms" had been removed from the victims and presented video seemingly depicting a person stripping military attire {off a corpse