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Bruno Itan

An eyewitness who witnessed the aftermath of a large-scale security raid in the metropolitan area has reported how community members brought back disfigured remains of the deceased individuals.

The bodies "continued arriving: the numbers kept rising", the photographer reported. The total contained those of police officers.

A particular victim had been decapitated - while others appeared "completely mutilated", he said. Several bodies showed what he described as knife injuries.

In excess of 120 victims were killed during Tuesday's raid against a criminal group - the most lethal operation the municipality has seen.

Bruno Itan reported that he was first alerted concerning the action Tuesday morning by community members from the Alemão area, who contacted him alerting him gunfire had erupted.

The eyewitness made his way to a local medical facility, where the casualties were coming in.

The photographer stated that the police prevented journalists from accessing the operation zone, where the operation were occurring.

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

However, the photographer, who grew up in the community, reported he managed to gain access into the restricted zone, where he continued through the night.

He described during the night, local residents started looking the elevated terrain that separates the Penha neighborhood from the adjacent Alemão area for relatives who were unaccounted for since the police raid.

Residents living in Penha proceeded to place the located casualties in a square - the photographer's images display the reaction of the gathered crowd.

"The brutality of what occurred affected me deeply: the grief of the families, parents losing consciousness, expectant spouses, crying, outraged parents," the reporter recounted.

The photographer

The governor of the region declared that the large-scale security action involving around 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at stopping a gang called Comando Vermelho from growing their influence.

Originally, local officials claimed that sixty individuals plus four law enforcement personnel" lost their lives in the raid.

Officials subsequently stated that early calculations indicates that 117 "suspects" were fatally injured.

The public legal service, that gives legal support to disadvantaged individuals, has estimated the final tally of people killed at 132.

According to researchers, Red Command represents the unique criminal entity that in the past few years has succeeded to make territorial gains across the region.

It is generally regarded as a major illegal faction nationally, alongside a rival criminal group, featuring a timeline dating back more than 50 years.

According to Brazilian journalist Rafael Soares, who has been covering crime in Rio over many years, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with neighborhood bosses affiliating with the group and acting as "commercial associates".

The gang focuses mainly on narcotics distribution, but also smuggles guns, valuable minerals, energy resources, alcohol smoking products.

Based on official reports, gang members possess significant weaponry and police said that during the raid, they came under attack via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The official of Rio state, the political leader, characterized Red Command members as "narcoterrorists" and referred to the security forces killed in the raid as courageous individuals.

But the number of fatalities during the raid has come in for criticism with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stating they were "appalled".

During a press briefing the following day, Governor Castro supported law enforcement.

"It wasn't our intention to kill anyone. We wanted to arrest them all alive," he declared.

He added that the situation worsened due to the alleged criminals fought back: "It occurred of the counterattack they implemented and the overwhelming response by those criminals."

The governor additionally stated that the bodies displayed by locals in the neighborhood had been "manipulated".

In a post on social media, he said that certain victims had been stripped of the camouflage clothing which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation onto the police".

A police official from the police department additionally stated that tactical gear, vests, and weapons" had been removed from the casualties and presented video apparently demonstrating an individual stripping military attire {off a corpse