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The photographer

A photographer who documented the aftermath of a large-scale security raid in the Brazilian city has reported how community members came back with mutilated bodies of those who had died.

The victims "continued arriving: the count kept increasing", Bruno Itan stated. They included security forces.

One individual had been decapitated - additional victims were "severely damaged", he explained. Numerous victims displayed what appeared to be blade trauma.

More than 120 people were fatally injured during Tuesday's raid against a criminal group - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen.

The photographer explained that residents first notified him concerning the action early on Tuesday by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages informing him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The photographer traveled to the healthcare center, where the victims were arriving.

Itan explained that security forces stopped members of the press from entering the affected area, where the police action were taking place.

"Law enforcement personnel created a barrier and announced: 'The press cannot proceed beyond this point'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who spent his childhood in that neighborhood, stated he managed to gain access into the restricted zone, where he stayed through the night.

He described during the night, area inhabitants commenced searching the mountainous area that borders the community of Penha and the adjacent Alemão area for loved ones who were unaccounted for after the operation.

Local people from the Penha area proceeded to place the located casualties in a square - and Itan's photos show the emotions of the gathered crowd.

"The brutality of the situation shook me profoundly: the pain of loved ones, parents losing consciousness, pregnant wives, sobbing, angry family members," the photographer recalled.

The photographer

The governor of the state stated that the massive police operation involving around 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at preventing a gang known as Red Command from increasing their control.

Initially, local officials stated that "60 suspects plus four law enforcement personnel" were fatally injured in the raid.

Authorities later reported that their "preliminary" count shows that 117 alleged criminals have been killed.

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to the poor, has estimated the overall count of people killed to be 132.

According to researchers, the gang represents the unique criminal entity which in recent years has managed to make territorial gains across the region.

Experts commonly view among the biggest criminal organizations in Brazil, together with another major gang, with a background spanning over five decades.

Per Brazilian journalist a specialist, who has been covering illegal operations in Rio over many years, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with area gang leaders affiliating with the group and acting as "business partners".

The gang focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, while also dealing in firearms, gold, energy resources, alcohol cigarettes.

Based on official reports, organization members have substantial firearms and police said that while the action was underway, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The governor of the state, the political leader, labeled organization participants as "narcoterrorists" and called the four police officers fatally injured in the action as brave public servants.

However, the count of people killed in the security action has come in for criticism from UN human rights officials expressing they felt "horrified".

At a news conference the following day, the official supported law enforcement.

"We did not plan to result in deaths. We intended to take suspects into custody without harm," he declared.

He continued that the circumstances intensified as the individuals had retaliated: "It occurred of the retaliation they carried out and the excessive violence from the gang members."

The official additionally stated that the casualties shown by residents in Penha had been "tampered with".

Through a message on online platforms, he said that some of them had been taken of the camouflage clothing which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation to security forces".

A police official representing security forces further reported that military attire, protective equipment, and firearms" were stripped from the bodies and presented video appearing to show a person removing tactical gear {off a corpse