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The eyewitness

A reporter who witnessed the results of a large-scale law enforcement action in the Brazilian city has described how local people brought back mutilated bodies of those who had died.

The casualties "kept coming: the numbers kept rising", the photographer stated. They included security forces.

A particular victim was discovered headless - others were "severely damaged", he reported. Several bodies showed evidence of stab wounds.

In excess of 120 victims were fatally injured during Tuesday's raid against a criminal group - the deadliest such raid the municipality has seen.

Bruno Itan stated that he initially learned about the operation in the early hours by residents from the Alemão area, who contacted him informing him there was a shoot-out.

The photographer traveled to the healthcare center, where the victims were being brought.

The eyewitness reported that security forces prevented journalists from accessing the Penha neighborhood, where the operation were taking place.

"Law enforcement personnel created a barrier and said: 'Journalists doesn't get past here'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who spent his childhood in the community, reported he managed to make his way past the security perimeter, where he continued through the night.

He described that evening, local residents began to search the mountainous area which divides Penha from the neighboring Alemão community for relatives who had been missing since the police raid.

Community members living in Penha organized the discovered victims in a public space - and Itan's photos display the reaction of the people there.

"The brutality of it all impacted me a lot: the pain of loved ones, mothers fainting, expectant spouses, crying, angry family members," the reporter recounted.

The eyewitness

The state leader of the state stated that the large-scale security action involving around 2,500 security personnel was designed to halting an illegal organization referred to as Comando Vermelho from increasing their control.

At first, the Rio state government claimed that sixty alleged criminals and four police officers" had been killed in the raid.

They have since said that initial estimates suggests that 117 alleged criminals have been killed.

The public legal service, that offers legal help to the poor, has put the final tally of people killed to be 132.

Per investigative findings, Red Command stands as the sole illegal faction that recently has succeeded to make territorial gains throughout Rio state.

It is generally regarded among the biggest criminal organizations in the country, alongside another major gang, with a background dating back more than 50 years.

Based on Brazilian journalist a specialist, who has been covering illegal operations in Rio extensively, Red Command "works as a system" with area gang leaders affiliating with the group and acting as "commercial associates".

The criminal group focuses mainly on drug trafficking, additionally trafficking firearms, gold, petroleum products, liquor smoking products.

Per law enforcement statements, organization members have substantial firearms and officials reported that throughout the operation, they faced assaults from explosive-laden drones.

The governor of Rio state, the political leader, labeled Red Command members as drug terrorists and referred to the security forces who died during the operation as "heroes".

But the number of fatalities in the operation has faced scrutiny from international human rights authorities expressing they felt "horrified".

In a media appearance the following day, the state leader defended the police force.

"There was no objective to kill anyone. We wanted to take suspects into custody without harm," he said.

He added that the events intensified because the suspects resisted aggressively: "It resulted of the resistance they executed and the disproportionate use of force by those criminals."

The state leader additionally stated that the victims displayed by locals in the area had been "tampered with".

Via a statement on social media, he said that certain victims had been removed of the camouflage clothing that he stated they possessed "in order to shift blame onto the police".

Felipe Curi from the police department additionally stated that "camouflage clothing, protective equipment, and arms" were taken away from the casualties and displayed evidence seemingly depicting an individual removing tactical gear {off a corpse