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The photographer

A reporter who observed the results of an extensive Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has described how community members brought back mutilated bodies of those who had died.

The victims "kept piling up: the count kept increasing", the photographer described. They included those of police officers.

One of the bodies was discovered headless - additional victims were "severely damaged", he reported. Numerous victims displayed what he described as stab wounds.

Over 120 individuals were killed in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the deadliest such raid the municipality has seen.

The photographer stated that he was first alerted to the raid in the early hours by local people of the Alemão neighbourhood, who contacted him telling him there was a shoot-out.

The eyewitness went to the healthcare center, where the victims were being brought.

Itan explained that law enforcement blocked media personnel from accessing the affected area, where the operation were occurring.

"Security forces established a perimeter and declared: 'Journalists cannot proceed beyond this point'."

However, the photographer, who grew up in the community, stated he managed to make his way past the security perimeter, where he continued until dawn.

He explained that evening, community members began to search the hillside that borders Penha from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown following the security action.

Community members of the Penha neighbourhood organized the located casualties in an open area - the documented evidence show the emotions of those present.

"The harsh reality of what occurred shook me profoundly: the sorrow of loved ones, mothers fainting, expectant spouses, crying, outraged parents," the photographer recalled.

The photographer

The governor of the state announced that the large-scale security action involving around 2,500 security personnel was intended to halting an illegal organization referred to as Comando Vermelho from expanding its territory.

At first, local officials maintained that "60 suspects along with four officers" lost their lives in the raid.

Authorities later reported that early calculations shows that 117 alleged criminals were fatally injured.

The legal assistance organization, which provides legal assistance to the poor, has put the total number of people killed at 132.

According to researchers, the gang stands as the sole illegal faction that in the past few years has succeeded to make territorial gains throughout Rio state.

Experts commonly view as a major illegal faction nationally, alongside another major gang, featuring a timeline dating back more than 50 years.

According to correspondent an expert, with extensive experience documenting crime in Rio over many years, Red Command "functions as a network" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and serving as "operational allies".

The organization focuses mainly on drug trafficking, additionally trafficking firearms, valuable minerals, petroleum products, beverages smoking products.

Based on official reports, organization members have substantial firearms and officials reported that throughout the operation, they faced assaults via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The state leader of Rio state, Cláudio Castro, characterized gang affiliates as "narcoterrorists" and described the four police officers fatally injured in the action as brave public servants.

Nevertheless, the total of fatalities in the security action has received condemnation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressing they felt "shocked".

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

"There was no objective to cause fatalities. We aimed to detain everyone safely," he stated.

He continued that the events had escalated as the individuals had retaliated: "It was a consequence of the counterattack they implemented and the overwhelming response by those criminals."

The state leader further reported that the victims displayed by locals in the area were "altered".

Via a statement on online platforms, he asserted that some of them had been stripped of the camouflage clothing he said they had been wearing "to redirect responsibility onto the police".

A law enforcement representative representing security forces additionally stated that tactical gear, protective equipment, and weapons" were taken away from the casualties and displayed evidence seemingly depicting a person removing tactical gear {off a corpse