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Bruno Itan

A photographer who observed the aftermath of a massive law enforcement action in the metropolitan area has described how local people brought back disfigured remains of those who had died.

The victims "kept piling up: the count kept increasing", the photographer reported. They included law enforcement personnel.

A particular victim had been decapitated - while others appeared "completely mutilated", he explained. Several bodies showed what appeared to be knife injuries.

More than 120 people were fatally injured in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the deadliest such raid the municipality has seen.

The photographer reported that he was first alerted about the operation early on Tuesday by local people of the Alemão neighbourhood, who contacted him informing him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The eyewitness traveled to the healthcare center, where the victims were being brought.

The eyewitness reported that security forces prevented journalists from entering the Penha neighborhood, where the operation was under way.

"Police officers created a barrier and declared: 'The press are not allowed to pass'."

But Itan, who grew up in that neighborhood, stated he succeeded to make his way into the cordoned-off area, where he continued through the night.

He described during the night, area inhabitants commenced searching the elevated terrain that separates the Penha neighborhood from the neighboring Alemão community for family members who were unaccounted for since the police raid.

Residents from the Penha area arranged the located casualties in a public space - the documented evidence reveal the response of the people there.

"The brutality of the situation impacted me profoundly: the sorrow of loved ones, parents losing consciousness, women carrying children, sobbing, furious relatives," the eyewitness remembered.

The eyewitness

The governor of the state declared that the large-scale security action with approximately 2,500 law enforcement members was designed to preventing a gang known as the criminal faction from increasing their control.

Originally, the Rio state government claimed that sixty individuals and four police officers" were fatally injured in the operation.

Authorities later reported that early calculations suggests that 117 "suspects" have been killed.

The legal assistance organization, that offers legal help to the poor, has calculated the total number of casualties at 132.

Per investigative findings, Red Command represents the unique criminal entity that in the past few years has succeeded to increase its control in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Experts commonly view one of the two largest gangs nationally, in company with another major gang, with a background dating back more than 50 years.

According to correspondent a specialist, with extensive experience documenting illegal operations in Rio for years, the criminal organization "works as a system" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and becoming "commercial associates".

The criminal group focuses mainly on drug trafficking, additionally trafficking guns, valuable minerals, energy resources, beverages smoking products.

Based on official reports, criminal affiliates are well armed and authorities stated that throughout the operation, they came under attack using drone-delivered explosives.

The governor of the state, the political leader, described organization participants as drug terrorists and referred to the security forces who died during the operation as courageous individuals.

However, the count of casualties during the raid has come in for criticism from UN human rights officials stating they were "appalled".

During a press briefing the next day, the official defended the police force.

"It wasn't our intention to cause fatalities. We aimed to take suspects into custody without harm," he stated.

He further explained that the events worsened as the individuals resisted aggressively: "It occurred of the retaliation they implemented and the excessive violence by the illegal group."

The governor additionally stated that the casualties presented by community members in the neighborhood had been "tampered with".

Through a message on social media, he said that particular individuals had been taken of the camouflage clothing he said they had been wearing "in order to shift blame toward law enforcement".

A law enforcement representative of Rio's civil police force also said that military attire, protective equipment, and firearms" were taken away from the bodies and showed footage appearing to show a man removing tactical gear {off a corpse