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Bruno Itan

A reporter who witnessed the aftermath of a massive security raid in the metropolitan area has recounted how local people brought back badly injured victims of the deceased individuals.

The casualties "kept coming: the count kept increasing", the eyewitness described. Among them were security forces.

A particular victim was found without a head - while others appeared "completely mutilated", he reported. Several bodies showed what appeared to be blade trauma.

Over 120 individuals were fatally injured during Tuesday's raid targeting an illegal organization - the most lethal operation Rio has experienced.

The photographer stated that residents first notified him concerning the action in the early hours by residents from the Alemão area, who sent him messages telling him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The reporter made his way to the healthcare center, where the victims were coming in.

Itan explained that the police stopped members of the press from going into the affected area, where the police action were occurring.

"Police officers created a barrier and declared: 'The press cannot proceed beyond this point'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who grew up in the community, reported he succeeded to enter into the cordoned-off area, where he continued until the next morning.

He reported that Tuesday night, community members started looking the elevated terrain which divides the community of Penha and the adjacent Alemão area for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown after the operation.

Local people from the Penha area proceeded to place the located casualties in an open area - the documented evidence reveal the reaction of those present.

"The brutality of what occurred shook me a lot: the sorrow of the families, women collapsing, expectant spouses, crying, outraged parents," the eyewitness remembered.

The photographer

The official of the state declared that the massive police operation deploying about 2,500 officers was designed to halting a gang called Comando Vermelho from growing their influence.

Initially, the Rio state government stated that "60 suspects along with four officers" lost their lives during the action.

Officials subsequently stated that their "preliminary" count indicates that 117 alleged criminals lost their lives.

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to disadvantaged individuals, has calculated the total number of fatalities as 132.

Based on expert analysis, the gang represents the unique criminal entity which in recent years has been able to make territorial gains in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is widely considered as a major illegal faction in the country, together with another major gang, featuring a timeline spanning over five decades.

According to correspondent a specialist, with extensive experience documenting illegal operations in Rio for years, the gang "operates like a franchise" with area gang leaders affiliating with the group and serving as "commercial associates".

The criminal group focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, while also dealing in guns, precious metals, fuel, liquor and tobacco.

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

The state leader of Rio state, Cláudio Castro, characterized organization participants as criminal extremists and called the law enforcement personnel killed in the raid as brave public servants.

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

At a news conference the next day, the official defended the police force.

"It wasn't our intention to result in deaths. We intended to arrest them all alive," he said.

He added that the situation intensified due to the alleged criminals fought back: "It was a consequence of the counterattack they carried out and the disproportionate use of force from the gang members."

The governor further reported that the victims displayed by locals in the area had been "tampered with".

In a post on online platforms, he claimed that some of them had been stripped of the camouflage clothing he said they had been wearing "to transfer accusation toward law enforcement".

A law enforcement representative of Rio's civil police force further reported that military attire, body armor, and weapons" were taken away from the victims and showed footage appearing to show a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse