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Bruno Itan

A photographer who witnessed the results of an extensive security raid in the Brazilian city has recounted how residents brought back mutilated bodies of people who lost their lives.

The bodies "kept coming: the count kept increasing", Bruno Itan stated. They included law enforcement personnel.

A particular victim was discovered headless - additional victims were "totally disfigured", he reported. Numerous victims displayed what appeared to be stab wounds.

In excess of 120 victims were fatally injured during Tuesday's raid on a criminal gang - the deadliest such raid in the city.

Bruno Itan reported that residents first notified him concerning the action in the early hours by community members living in Alemão, who sent him messages alerting him gunfire had erupted.

The reporter traveled to a local medical facility, where the victims were being brought.

The eyewitness reported that the police prevented journalists from entering the operation zone, where the security measures were occurring.

"Law enforcement personnel created a barrier and announced: 'Media representatives are not allowed to pass'."

But Itan, who was raised in the area, stated he succeeded to enter into the restricted zone, where he remained until dawn.

He reported that Tuesday night, local residents started looking the elevated terrain that borders Penha from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for relatives who had been missing after the operation.

Community members from the Penha area proceeded to place the discovered victims in an open area - the photographer's images reveal the reaction of the people there.

"The brutality of it all impacted me profoundly: the sorrow of relatives, parents losing consciousness, women carrying children, sobbing, outraged parents," the reporter recounted.

Bruno Itan

The state leader of Rio state announced that the extensive law enforcement effort with approximately 2,500 law enforcement members was designed to stopping a gang referred to as Red Command from growing their influence.

Initially, local officials claimed that "60 suspects and four police officers" were fatally injured in the operation.

They have since said that initial estimates indicates that 117 individuals were fatally injured.

The legal assistance organization, which provides legal assistance to disadvantaged individuals, has estimated the overall count of casualties as 132.

According to researchers, the gang represents the unique criminal entity that recently has managed to increase its control across the region.

It is generally regarded among the biggest criminal organizations in Brazil, together with another major gang, and has a history dating back more than 50 years.

Based on reporter a specialist, who has been covering crime in Rio for years, the criminal organization "works as a system" with area gang leaders forming part of the gang and serving as "commercial associates".

The criminal group focuses mainly on narcotics distribution, additionally trafficking weapons, valuable minerals, fuel, liquor cigarettes.

According to the authorities, criminal affiliates possess significant weaponry and police said that throughout the operation, they came under attack using drone-delivered explosives.

The governor of the state, the political leader, labeled Red Command members as drug terrorists and called the law enforcement personnel fatally injured in the action as courageous individuals.

Nevertheless, the total of casualties in the operation has faced scrutiny from international human rights authorities stating they were "shocked".

In a media appearance the following day, the official justified security actions.

"It wasn't our intention to result in deaths. We intended to take suspects into custody without harm," he declared.

He further explained that the situation had escalated because the suspects fought back: "It occurred of the counterattack they implemented and the excessive violence by those criminals."

The state leader additionally stated that the victims shown by residents in Penha had been "tampered with".

Through a message on online platforms, he said that certain victims had been stripped of the camouflage clothing that he stated they possessed "in order to shift blame to security forces".

A police official from the police department further reported that military attire, body armor, and firearms" were taken away from the bodies and displayed evidence apparently demonstrating a person removing tactical gear {off a corpse