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The photographer

An eyewitness who documented the consequences of an extensive security raid in Rio de Janeiro has reported how residents came back with disfigured remains of the deceased individuals.

The bodies "continued arriving: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the eyewitness described. The total contained security forces.

One of the bodies was discovered headless - while others appeared "completely mutilated", he said. Numerous victims displayed evidence of knife injuries.

Over 120 individuals were fatally injured during Tuesday's raid against a criminal group - the deadliest such raid in the city.

The eyewitness stated that residents first notified him about the operation in the early hours by local people living in Alemão, who contacted him alerting him gunfire had erupted.

The photographer traveled to a local medical facility, where the bodies were coming in.

The photographer stated that security forces prevented journalists from going into the operation zone, where the police action were occurring.

"Police officers formed a line and declared: 'Media representatives cannot proceed beyond this point'."

But Itan, who was raised in that neighborhood, stated he succeeded to gain access into the restricted zone, where he stayed through the night.

He described that evening, area inhabitants started looking the hillside which divides the community of Penha and the adjacent Alemão area for relatives who were unaccounted for after the operation.

Community members from the Penha area organized the discovered victims in a public space - the documented evidence reveal the emotions of the people there.

"The brutality of what occurred impacted me profoundly: the sorrow of the families, parents losing consciousness, expectant spouses, sobbing, outraged parents," the photographer recalled.

The photographer

The official of the state declared that the massive police operation with approximately 2,500 security personnel was aimed at halting an illegal organization referred to as Red Command from expanding its territory.

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

They have since said that early calculations indicates that 117 individuals have been killed.

The legal assistance organization, which provides legal assistance to disadvantaged individuals, has calculated the total number of fatalities at 132.

Based on expert analysis, Red Command represents the unique criminal entity that in the past few years has been able to make territorial gains in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Experts commonly view among the biggest criminal organizations in Brazil, in company with another major gang, with a background spanning over five decades.

According to correspondent a specialist, with extensive experience documenting crime in Rio over many years, the gang "works as a system" with neighborhood bosses forming part of the gang and becoming "commercial associates".

The organization focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, but also smuggles firearms, valuable minerals, fuel, liquor smoking products.

Based on official reports, gang members are well armed and authorities stated that throughout the operation, they faced assaults from explosive-laden drones.

The official of the state, Cláudio Castro, described Red Command members as "narcoterrorists" and referred to the four police officers who died during the operation as courageous individuals.

But the number of fatalities during the raid has received condemnation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressing they felt "shocked".

In a media appearance the following day, Governor Castro defended the police force.

"There was no objective to result in deaths. We aimed to take suspects into custody without harm," he declared.

He continued that the events had escalated because the suspects had retaliated: "It occurred of the resistance they executed and the excessive violence by the illegal group."

The official further reported that the victims presented by community members in Penha had been "manipulated".

Via a statement on online platforms, he claimed that some of them had been taken of tactical gear he said they had been wearing "to transfer accusation onto the police".

A law enforcement representative of Rio's civil police force also said that tactical gear, vests, and arms" were stripped from the bodies and displayed evidence appearing to show a person cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse