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The photographer

A reporter who documented the results of an extensive law enforcement action in Rio de Janeiro has described how community members returned with disfigured remains of the deceased individuals.

The bodies "kept coming: the count kept increasing", the photographer reported. They included those of police officers.

One of the bodies was found without a head - while others appeared "severely damaged", he explained. Many also had what he described as blade trauma.

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

The eyewitness explained that he initially learned concerning the action early on Tuesday by local people from the Alemão area, who reached out alerting him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The eyewitness made his way to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the bodies were being brought.

The eyewitness reported that security forces blocked media personnel from entering the affected area, where the security measures were occurring.

"Law enforcement personnel established a perimeter and announced: 'Journalists cannot proceed beyond this point'."

But Itan, who grew up in the community, reported he was able to enter past the security perimeter, where he remained until dawn.

He explained during the night, area inhabitants began to search the hillside that separates Penha from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for family members who had been missing following the security action.

Residents from the Penha area arranged the recovered bodies in a public space - the documented evidence display the response of the gathered crowd.

"The harsh reality of what occurred shook me a lot: the pain of loved ones, parents losing consciousness, women carrying children, weeping, angry family members," the eyewitness remembered.

The photographer

The official of Rio state stated that the extensive law enforcement effort involving around 2,500 law enforcement members was designed to stopping a criminal group referred to as Red Command from growing their influence.

At first, the Rio state government stated that sixty individuals along with four officers" had been killed in the operation.

They have since said that early calculations shows that 117 "suspects" were fatally injured.

The legal assistance organization, that gives legal support to the poor, has calculated the final tally of fatalities as 132.

Per investigative findings, Red Command represents the unique criminal entity which in recent years has succeeded to expand its territory in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is generally regarded one of the two largest gangs in Brazil, alongside a rival criminal group, and has a history spanning over five decades.

According to Brazilian journalist a specialist, with extensive experience documenting criminal activity in the city over many years, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with area gang leaders joining the organization and acting as "operational allies".

The gang engages primarily in illegal drug trade, additionally trafficking guns, gold, petroleum products, alcohol cigarettes.

Per law enforcement statements, criminal affiliates are well armed and authorities stated that during the raid, they faced assaults via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The official of Rio state, the government representative, characterized organization participants as criminal extremists and described the four police officers fatally injured in the action as "heroes".

Nevertheless, the total of people killed in the operation has faced scrutiny from UN human rights officials expressing they felt "appalled".

At a news conference the following day, Governor Castro defended the police force.

"There was no objective to result in deaths. We intended to detain everyone safely," he said.

He added that the events worsened as the individuals fought back: "It resulted of the resistance they executed and the excessive violence by the illegal group."

The governor additionally stated that the bodies shown by residents in Penha were "altered".

In a post on social media, he said that certain victims had been taken of the camouflage clothing that he stated they possessed "to transfer accusation to security forces".

A law enforcement representative from the police department further reported that "camouflage clothing, body armor, and arms" had been removed from the casualties and showed footage seemingly depicting a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse