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The photographer

An eyewitness who observed the results of a large-scale Brazilian police operation in the Brazilian city has described how residents came back with disfigured remains of those who had died.

The bodies "continued arriving: the numbers kept rising", Bruno Itan described. The total contained those of police officers.

A particular victim was found without a head - additional victims were "severely damaged", he explained. Many also had evidence of knife injuries.

In excess of 120 victims were killed in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the bloodiest action Rio has experienced.

Bruno Itan reported that he was first alerted concerning the action Tuesday morning by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who reached out telling him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The eyewitness traveled to a local medical facility, where the bodies were arriving.

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

"Security forces established a perimeter and announced: 'Media representatives cannot proceed beyond this point'."

However, the photographer, who grew up in that neighborhood, explained he managed to gain access past the security perimeter, where he remained until the next morning.

He reported during the night, local residents began to search the mountainous area that borders the Penha neighborhood from the neighboring Alemão community for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown after the operation.

Community members from the Penha area arranged the recovered bodies in an open area - the photographer's images display the response of those present.

"The harsh reality of the situation shook me profoundly: the grief of loved ones, mothers fainting, pregnant wives, sobbing, furious relatives," the photographer recalled.

Bruno Itan

The official of the state stated that the large-scale security action involving around 2,500 security personnel was aimed at preventing an illegal organization referred to as Red Command from expanding its territory.

Initially, the Rio state government maintained that "60 suspects plus four law enforcement personnel" had been killed in the raid.

Officials subsequently stated that early calculations shows that 117 "suspects" have been killed.

Rio's public defender's office, which provides legal assistance to disadvantaged individuals, has estimated the final tally of casualties to be 132.

Based on expert analysis, the criminal organization is the only criminal group which in recent years has succeeded to increase its control throughout Rio state.

It is widely considered as a major illegal faction in Brazil, together with another major gang, and has a history spanning over five decades.

According to correspondent a specialist, with extensive experience documenting criminal activity in the city over many years, Red Command "operates like a franchise" with local criminal leaders affiliating with the group and becoming "operational allies".

The criminal group concentrates largely on illegal drug trade, additionally trafficking guns, valuable minerals, petroleum products, beverages and tobacco.

According to the authorities, criminal affiliates have substantial firearms and officials reported that while the action was underway, they faced assaults from explosive-laden drones.

The official of Rio state, the political leader, labeled gang affiliates as "narcoterrorists" and referred to the four police officers killed in the raid as "heroes".

But the number of fatalities during the raid has faced scrutiny with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights saying it was "shocked".

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

"It wasn't our intention to kill anyone. We wanted to detain everyone safely," he declared.

He further explained that the events worsened as the individuals resisted aggressively: "It resulted of the retaliation they carried out and the disproportionate use of force by those criminals."

The state leader additionally stated that the casualties presented by community members in the area had been "manipulated".

Via a statement through digital channels, he asserted that some of them had been taken of the camouflage clothing which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation onto the police".

Felipe Curi from the police department also said that military attire, body armor, and arms" were stripped from the bodies and showed footage seemingly depicting an individual cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse