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The photographer

An eyewitness who observed the results of a massive Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has reported how local people came back with mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The casualties "kept piling up: the count kept increasing", the eyewitness stated. Among them were those of police officers.

One individual was found without a head - additional victims were "completely mutilated", he reported. Several bodies showed evidence of stab wounds.

In excess of 120 victims were killed in the Tuesday operation on a criminal gang - the bloodiest action Rio has experienced.

The eyewitness explained that residents first notified him to the raid in the early hours by community members from the Alemão area, who reached out informing him there was a shoot-out.

The photographer traveled to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the bodies were being brought.

The eyewitness reported that security forces stopped members of the press from entering the operation zone, where the police action were occurring.

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

But Itan, who grew up in that neighborhood, stated he managed to gain access into the cordoned-off area, where he continued until the next morning.

He reported during the night, community members began to search the elevated terrain that borders the community of Penha and the adjacent Alemão area for relatives who were unaccounted for after the operation.

Local people of the Penha neighbourhood arranged the located casualties in an open area - the documented evidence show the reaction of those present.

"The violence of the situation affected me a lot: the grief of the families, parents losing consciousness, women carrying children, weeping, furious relatives," the reporter recounted.

The eyewitness

The official of the state declared that the large-scale security action with approximately 2,500 law enforcement members was designed to stopping a criminal group referred to as Red Command from expanding its territory.

Initially, state authorities stated that sixty alleged criminals along with four officers" were fatally injured in the operation.

Officials subsequently stated that early calculations suggests that 117 "suspects" have been killed.

The public legal service, which provides legal assistance to disadvantaged individuals, has put the overall count of fatalities to be 132.

Per investigative findings, Red Command 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, together with another major gang, and has a history spanning over five decades.

According to Brazilian journalist an expert, with extensive experience documenting crime in Rio extensively, Red Command "functions as a network" with neighborhood bosses forming part of the gang and serving as "business partners".

The organization concentrates largely on illegal drug trade, but also smuggles weapons, gold, petroleum products, alcohol and tobacco.

Based on official reports, organization members are well armed and officials reported that while the action was underway, they came under attack using drone-delivered explosives.

The state leader of the region, the government representative, labeled organization participants as drug terrorists and referred to the law enforcement personnel who died during the operation as courageous individuals.

But the number of fatalities during the raid has faced scrutiny with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressing they felt "horrified".

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

"It wasn't our intention to result in deaths. We intended to arrest them all alive," he stated.

He continued that the situation had escalated because the suspects had retaliated: "It was a consequence of the retaliation they implemented and the overwhelming response by those criminals."

The official also said that the bodies shown by residents in Penha were "altered".

Via a statement on social media, he claimed that certain victims had been removed of tactical gear that he stated they possessed "to transfer accusation onto the police".

A police official from the police department further reported that military attire, protective equipment, and arms" were taken away from the bodies and showed footage appearing to show an individual cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse