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The photographer

An eyewitness who observed the results of a massive law enforcement action in the metropolitan area has described how community members brought back disfigured remains of people who lost their lives.

The casualties "continued arriving: the numbers kept rising", Bruno Itan described. The total contained security forces.

A particular victim was discovered headless - others were "totally disfigured", he said. Many also had evidence of blade trauma.

More than 120 people were fatally injured during the security action targeting an illegal organization - the bloodiest action Rio has experienced.

The eyewitness reported that he initially learned concerning the action in the early hours by community members from the Alemão area, who reached out telling him gunfire had erupted.

The eyewitness made his way to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the victims were arriving.

The photographer stated that security forces blocked media personnel from accessing the affected area, where the security measures was under way.

"Security forces formed a line and announced: 'The press are not allowed to pass'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who was raised in that neighborhood, stated he managed to gain access into the cordoned-off area, where he stayed through the night.

He explained that Tuesday night, local residents commenced searching the hillside that borders the community of Penha and the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for loved ones whose whereabouts were unknown since the police raid.

Local people of the Penha neighbourhood organized the located casualties in a public space - the photographer's images show the emotions of the people there.

"The violence of the situation impacted me profoundly: the grief of the families, parents losing consciousness, pregnant wives, sobbing, furious relatives," the photographer recalled.

The photographer

The official of the state announced that the extensive law enforcement effort with approximately 2,500 security personnel was aimed at stopping a gang called Red Command from increasing their control.

Initially, state authorities stated that "60 suspects along with four officers" lost their lives in the operation.

Authorities later reported that their "preliminary" count shows that 117 individuals lost their lives.

Rio's public defender's office, which provides legal assistance to low-income residents, has put the overall count of people killed at 132.

According to researchers, the gang represents the unique criminal entity that in the past few years has managed to expand its territory throughout Rio state.

It is generally regarded as a major illegal faction nationally, together with a rival criminal group, featuring a timeline spanning over five decades.

Based on reporter Rafael Soares, who has long reported on criminal activity in the city over many years, the gang "functions as a network" with area gang leaders forming part of the gang and becoming "commercial associates".

The organization engages primarily in drug trafficking, additionally trafficking firearms, precious metals, energy resources, beverages smoking products.

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

The governor of the state, Cláudio Castro, described Red Command members as drug terrorists and called the security forces who died during the operation as brave public servants.

However, the count of fatalities in the security action has faced scrutiny from international human rights authorities saying it was "shocked".

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

"It wasn't our intention to cause fatalities. We aimed to detain everyone safely," he declared.

He further explained that the circumstances worsened due to the alleged criminals resisted aggressively: "It was a consequence of the counterattack they implemented and the disproportionate use of force by the illegal group."

The governor additionally stated that the bodies presented by community members in Penha had been "manipulated".

Through a message on social media, he said that particular individuals had been removed of tactical gear he said they had been wearing "to transfer accusation toward law enforcement".

A law enforcement representative representing security forces also said that military attire, vests, and arms" had been removed from the casualties and displayed evidence seemingly depicting an individual removing tactical gear {off a corpse