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The photographer

An eyewitness who documented the results of a massive security raid in Rio de Janeiro has described how residents brought back badly injured victims of the deceased individuals.

The casualties "kept coming: the count kept increasing", Bruno Itan described. The total contained security forces.

A particular victim had been decapitated - while others appeared "severely damaged", he said. Numerous victims displayed evidence of knife injuries.

Over 120 individuals were killed in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the most lethal operation the municipality has seen.

The photographer stated that he was first alerted to the raid Tuesday morning by residents living in Alemão, who sent him messages alerting him there was a shoot-out.

The photographer made his way to the healthcare center, where the casualties were being brought.

The eyewitness reported that the police blocked media personnel from accessing the Penha neighborhood, where the operation were taking place.

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

However, the photographer, who grew up in the community, reported he was able to enter past the security perimeter, where he continued until the next morning.

He reported that Tuesday night, area inhabitants commenced searching the elevated terrain that borders Penha from the neighboring Alemão community for loved ones whose whereabouts were unknown after the operation.

Local people from the Penha area organized the located casualties in a public space - the documented evidence display the emotions of those present.

"The violence of it all impacted me a lot: the pain of relatives, mothers fainting, pregnant wives, sobbing, furious relatives," the reporter recounted.

The photographer

The governor of Rio state declared that the massive police operation deploying about 2,500 officers was designed to halting an illegal organization known as Comando Vermelho from expanding its territory.

At first, state authorities stated that sixty alleged criminals and four police officers" lost their lives during the action.

Officials subsequently stated that their "preliminary" count indicates that 117 individuals have been killed.

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has calculated the total number of people killed at 132.

Per investigative findings, the gang represents the unique criminal entity which in recent years has been able to make territorial gains in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is generally regarded one of the two largest gangs in Brazil, alongside First Capital Command, and has a history extending half a century.

Per reporter an expert, with extensive experience documenting crime in Rio over many years, the gang "functions as a network" with area gang leaders forming part of the gang and becoming "operational allies".

The organization engages primarily in drug trafficking, additionally trafficking guns, valuable minerals, petroleum products, liquor and tobacco.

According to the authorities, organization members are well armed and officials reported that throughout the operation, they faced assaults from explosive-laden drones.

The official of the region, Cláudio Castro, labeled gang affiliates as "narcoterrorists" and called the four police officers fatally injured in the action as "heroes".

Nevertheless, the total of fatalities during the raid has come in for criticism from UN human rights officials expressing they felt "horrified".

During a press briefing on Wednesday, the official justified security actions.

"It wasn't our intention to result in deaths. We aimed to detain everyone safely," he stated.

He further explained that the circumstances intensified as the individuals fought back: "It occurred of the retaliation they executed and the excessive violence by those criminals."

The governor also said that the victims presented by community members in Penha were "altered".

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

A police official representing security forces further reported that "camouflage clothing, vests, and weapons" were taken away from the victims and showed footage appearing to show an individual removing tactical gear {off a corpse