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The photographer

A reporter who observed the results of a massive security raid in the metropolitan area has recounted how residents came back with badly injured victims of people who lost their lives.

The bodies "kept coming: the numbers kept rising", the photographer reported. The total contained those of police officers.

One individual had been decapitated - additional victims were "severely damaged", he said. Several bodies showed evidence of blade trauma.

Over 120 individuals were killed during Tuesday's raid on a criminal gang - the bloodiest action Rio has experienced.

Bruno Itan explained that he initially learned to the raid in the early hours by residents of the Alemão neighbourhood, who contacted him telling him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The eyewitness traveled to the healthcare center, where the casualties were arriving.

Itan explained that the police stopped members of the press from accessing the Penha neighborhood, where the police action was under way.

"Security forces created a barrier and declared: 'Media representatives doesn't get past here'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who spent his childhood in that neighborhood, stated he was able to make his way into the cordoned-off area, where he continued through the night.

He reported that Tuesday night, area inhabitants started looking the mountainous area which divides the Penha neighborhood from the neighboring Alemão community for family members whose whereabouts were unknown after the operation.

Residents of the Penha neighbourhood organized the discovered victims in a square - and Itan's photos reveal the emotions of the gathered crowd.

"The harsh reality of the situation shook me a lot: the sorrow of relatives, women collapsing, pregnant wives, weeping, outraged parents," the eyewitness remembered.

Bruno Itan

The official of the state stated that the large-scale security action involving around 2,500 officers was aimed at stopping an illegal organization known as the criminal faction from expanding its territory.

At first, state authorities claimed that sixty individuals along with four officers" were fatally injured in the raid.

Officials subsequently stated that early calculations indicates that 117 "suspects" were fatally injured.

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has put the overall count of casualties as 132.

According to researchers, Red Command is the only criminal group that in the past few years has succeeded to increase its control throughout Rio state.

It is widely considered among the biggest criminal organizations nationally, together with another major gang, with a background spanning over five decades.

Per Brazilian journalist an expert, with extensive experience documenting crime in Rio for years, the gang "operates like a franchise" with local criminal leaders joining the organization and serving as "commercial associates".

The criminal group engages primarily in illegal drug trade, while also dealing in guns, gold, petroleum products, alcohol cigarettes.

Based on official reports, criminal affiliates possess significant weaponry and authorities stated that throughout the operation, they came under attack using drone-delivered explosives.

The governor of the state, Cláudio Castro, described gang affiliates as drug terrorists and referred to the law enforcement personnel who died during the operation as courageous individuals.

But the number of fatalities in the security action has faced scrutiny with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stating they were "shocked".

During a press briefing the next day, the state leader supported law enforcement.

"It wasn't our intention to kill anyone. We intended to take suspects into custody without harm," he declared.

He continued that the circumstances worsened as the individuals had retaliated: "It was a consequence of the retaliation they implemented and the disproportionate use of force by the illegal group."

The governor additionally stated that the casualties displayed by locals in the neighborhood were "altered".

In a post on social media, he asserted that particular individuals had been removed of military-style attire which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation to security forces".

A law enforcement representative of Rio's civil police force also said that military attire, protective equipment, and weapons" were stripped from the casualties and presented video appearing to show a man removing tactical gear {off a corpse