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Bruno Itan

An eyewitness who observed the consequences of a massive law enforcement action in the metropolitan area has reported how community members brought back mutilated bodies of people who lost their lives.

The bodies "kept piling up: the numbers kept rising", Bruno Itan stated. The total contained security forces.

One individual was found without a head - others were "severely damaged", he reported. Numerous victims displayed what appeared to be knife injuries.

More than 120 people were fatally injured during Tuesday's raid against a criminal group - the deadliest such raid Rio has experienced.

The photographer reported that he was first alerted about the operation in the early hours by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages informing him there was a shoot-out.

The reporter went to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the casualties were arriving.

Itan explained that security forces blocked media personnel from entering the affected area, where the operation were occurring.

"Law enforcement personnel formed a line and said: 'Journalists cannot proceed beyond this point'."

But Itan, who grew up in the area, stated he managed to enter past the security perimeter, where he remained until dawn.

He explained during the night, community members commenced searching the mountainous area which divides Penha from the adjacent Alemão area for family members who were unaccounted for since the police raid.

Community members of the Penha neighbourhood proceeded to place the discovered victims in a public space - the photographer's images reveal the emotions of the people there.

"The violence of it all impacted me deeply: the grief of relatives, mothers fainting, pregnant wives, weeping, furious relatives," the reporter recounted.

The photographer

The state leader of Rio state declared that the extensive law enforcement effort deploying about 2,500 officers was intended to halting an illegal organization known as Comando Vermelho from increasing their control.

Initially, the Rio state government stated that "60 suspects and four police officers" had been killed during the action.

Officials subsequently stated that their "preliminary" count indicates that 117 individuals were fatally injured.

The legal assistance organization, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has estimated the overall count of fatalities at 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization stands as the sole illegal faction that in the past few years has managed to make territorial gains in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is generally regarded as a major illegal faction in Brazil, together with First Capital Command, with a background extending half a century.

According to Brazilian journalist an expert, who has long reported on crime in Rio extensively, Red Command "operates like a franchise" with neighborhood bosses affiliating with the group and acting as "commercial associates".

The criminal group focuses mainly on narcotics distribution, additionally trafficking weapons, valuable minerals, fuel, alcohol smoking products.

Based on official reports, organization members have substantial firearms and officials reported that during the raid, they encountered resistance using drone-delivered explosives.

The official of the region, Cláudio Castro, described organization participants as "narcoterrorists" and called the law enforcement personnel who died during the operation as brave public servants.

Nevertheless, the total of people killed in the operation has faced scrutiny with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressing they felt "appalled".

At a news conference on Wednesday, the official defended the police force.

"There was no objective to kill anyone. We wanted to detain everyone safely," he said.

He added that the circumstances intensified due to the alleged criminals resisted aggressively: "It was a consequence of the retaliation they executed and the excessive violence by the illegal group."

The governor additionally stated that the victims presented by community members in the neighborhood were "altered".

In a post on online platforms, he claimed that particular individuals had been taken of tactical gear which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation onto the police".

Felipe Curi from the police department further reported that "camouflage clothing, protective equipment, and arms" were stripped from the bodies and presented video seemingly depicting a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse