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Bruno Itan

An eyewitness who observed the results of a massive security raid in Rio de Janeiro has reported how residents returned with badly injured victims of those who had died.

The casualties "kept coming: the count kept increasing", the photographer reported. The total contained law enforcement personnel.

A particular victim had been decapitated - while others appeared "totally disfigured", he reported. Numerous victims displayed what appeared to be stab wounds.

Over 120 individuals lost their lives during Tuesday's raid against a criminal group - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen.

The photographer reported that he initially learned about the operation early on Tuesday by local people living in Alemão, who sent him messages alerting him there was a shoot-out.

The eyewitness made his way to a local medical facility, where the bodies were coming in.

The eyewitness reported that law enforcement stopped members of the press from going into the operation zone, where the police action was under way.

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

But Itan, who grew up in the area, reported he succeeded to enter into the cordoned-off area, where he remained until dawn.

He explained that Tuesday night, local residents began to search the elevated terrain which divides Penha from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for loved ones whose whereabouts were unknown after the operation.

Community members from the Penha area arranged the located casualties in an open area - the documented evidence show the emotions of the people there.

"The violence of what occurred impacted me a lot: the grief of the families, parents losing consciousness, pregnant wives, crying, outraged parents," the eyewitness remembered.

Bruno Itan

The governor of the state declared that the massive police operation with approximately 2,500 officers was intended to halting an illegal organization referred to as the criminal faction from increasing their control.

At first, state authorities stated that sixty alleged criminals plus four law enforcement personnel" lost their lives in the raid.

They have since said that their "preliminary" count suggests that 117 "suspects" were fatally injured.

Rio's public defender's office, which provides legal assistance to disadvantaged individuals, has calculated the final tally of fatalities as 132.

Per investigative findings, Red Command stands as the sole illegal faction which in recent years has managed to expand its territory in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is widely considered among the biggest criminal organizations in Brazil, alongside First Capital Command, and has a history spanning over five decades.

Based on Brazilian journalist a specialist, with extensive experience documenting crime in Rio extensively, the gang "works as a system" with neighborhood bosses affiliating with the group and becoming "business partners".

The criminal group focuses mainly on drug trafficking, additionally trafficking weapons, precious metals, petroleum products, liquor smoking products.

According to the authorities, criminal affiliates are well armed and police said that throughout the operation, they faced assaults from explosive-laden drones.

The state leader of Rio state, Cláudio Castro, characterized gang affiliates as "narcoterrorists" and called the security forces fatally injured in the action as "heroes".

But the number of casualties during the raid has come in for criticism from UN human rights officials stating they were "horrified".

In a media appearance the following day, the state leader justified security actions.

"There was no objective to cause fatalities. We wanted to take suspects into custody without harm," he said.

He continued that the events had escalated due to the alleged criminals had retaliated: "It occurred of the counterattack they implemented and the disproportionate use of force by those criminals."

The governor also said that the victims presented by community members in Penha had been "manipulated".

In a post through digital channels, he claimed that some of them had been stripped of military-style attire he said they had been wearing "in order to shift blame toward law enforcement".

A police official representing security forces also said that "camouflage clothing, vests, and weapons" were taken away from the bodies and displayed evidence seemingly depicting a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse