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The photographer

An eyewitness who observed the results of a massive Brazilian police operation in the metropolitan area has reported how community members brought back disfigured remains of the deceased individuals.

The victims "continued arriving: the numbers kept rising", the photographer stated. Among them were security forces.

A particular victim had been decapitated - additional victims were "severely damaged", he reported. Numerous victims displayed what appeared to be stab wounds.

Over 120 individuals were killed during Tuesday's raid on a criminal gang - the bloodiest action in the city.

Bruno Itan explained that he was first alerted about the operation Tuesday morning by residents from the Alemão area, who sent him messages informing him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The eyewitness traveled to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the bodies were arriving.

Itan explained that the police stopped members of the press from accessing the operation zone, where the operation was under way.

"Police officers established a perimeter and said: 'Journalists are not allowed to pass'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who grew up in the area, stated he was able to gain access into the restricted zone, where he remained until the next morning.

He explained during the night, community members began to search the mountainous area which divides the Penha neighborhood from the adjacent Alemão area for family members who were unaccounted for following the security action.

Residents living in Penha arranged the discovered victims in a public space - the photographer's images display the response of those present.

"The brutality of it all impacted me a lot: the sorrow of relatives, parents losing consciousness, expectant spouses, weeping, furious relatives," the eyewitness remembered.

The photographer

The state leader of the state announced that the massive police operation deploying about 2,500 officers was aimed at halting an illegal organization referred to as the criminal faction from expanding its territory.

Initially, state authorities maintained that "60 suspects plus four law enforcement personnel" were fatally injured in the raid.

Officials subsequently stated that their "preliminary" count suggests that 117 "suspects" lost their lives.

The public legal service, that offers legal help to low-income residents, has put the final tally of casualties at 132.

Based on expert analysis, Red Command stands as the sole illegal faction which in recent years has succeeded to expand its territory in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is widely considered as a major illegal faction in Brazil, alongside First Capital Command, with a background extending half a century.

Per correspondent Rafael Soares, who has long reported on illegal operations in Rio extensively, the criminal organization "functions as a network" with area gang leaders affiliating with the group and acting as "business partners".

The organization concentrates largely on narcotics distribution, additionally trafficking guns, gold, fuel, alcohol and tobacco.

Based on official reports, organization members possess significant weaponry and authorities stated that during the raid, they faced assaults from explosive-laden drones.

The governor of Rio state, the government representative, labeled gang affiliates as criminal extremists and called the security forces fatally injured in the action as "heroes".

But the number of casualties in the security action has faced scrutiny with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights saying it was "horrified".

During a press briefing the following day, the official justified security actions.

"There was no objective to kill anyone. We wanted to arrest them all alive," he said.

He added that the events had escalated as the individuals resisted aggressively: "It was a consequence of the retaliation they carried out and the excessive violence by the illegal group."

The state leader also said that the victims displayed by locals in Penha had been "manipulated".

In a post on online platforms, he claimed that certain victims had been removed of tactical gear he said they had been wearing "to transfer accusation onto the police".

A law enforcement representative representing security forces additionally stated that "camouflage clothing, vests, and arms" had been removed from the victims and presented video apparently demonstrating a person stripping military attire {off a corpse