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The eyewitness

A reporter who documented the aftermath of a massive security raid in the Brazilian city has recounted how community members returned with badly injured victims of people who lost their lives.

The bodies "kept piling up: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the photographer stated. They included security forces.

One individual had been decapitated - additional victims were "totally disfigured", he explained. Several bodies showed evidence of knife injuries.

Over 120 individuals were killed during Tuesday's raid on a criminal gang - the deadliest such raid the municipality has seen.

The photographer reported that he initially learned concerning the action in the early hours by residents living in Alemão, who contacted him telling him gunfire had erupted.

The photographer made his way to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the victims were arriving.

The eyewitness reported that security forces stopped members of the press from accessing the Penha neighborhood, where the security measures was under way.

"Police officers established a perimeter and announced: 'The press doesn't get past here'."

However, the photographer, who grew up in that neighborhood, reported he was able to gain access into the cordoned-off area, where he continued until the next morning.

He reported that evening, community members started looking the elevated terrain that separates the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for loved ones who were unaccounted for since the police raid.

Community members living in Penha proceeded to place the recovered bodies in a square - and Itan's photos reveal the emotions of those present.

"The violence of it all affected me profoundly: the grief of loved ones, mothers fainting, women carrying children, crying, angry family members," the photographer recalled.

Bruno Itan

The governor of the state announced that the extensive law enforcement effort involving around 2,500 security personnel was aimed at halting a criminal group known as Red Command from expanding its territory.

Originally, the Rio state government claimed that sixty individuals along with four officers" had been killed during the action.

Officials subsequently stated that early calculations suggests that 117 alleged criminals were fatally injured.

The legal assistance organization, which provides legal assistance to disadvantaged individuals, has put the final tally of fatalities as 132.

Based on expert analysis, Red Command stands as the sole illegal faction which in recent years has managed to make territorial gains throughout Rio state.

It is widely considered as a major illegal faction in the country, together with another major gang, featuring a timeline spanning over five decades.

According to reporter a specialist, who has been covering illegal operations in Rio over many years, Red Command "functions as a network" with area gang leaders forming part of the gang and acting as "operational allies".

The criminal group focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, additionally trafficking firearms, precious metals, fuel, alcohol and tobacco.

According to the authorities, criminal affiliates have substantial firearms and police said that during the raid, they faced assaults from explosive-laden drones.

The official of the state, the political leader, labeled Red Command members as drug terrorists and described the security forces killed in the raid as "heroes".

But the number of casualties in the security action has come in for criticism with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights saying it was "appalled".

At a news conference the following day, Governor Castro justified security actions.

"It wasn't our intention to cause fatalities. We intended to detain everyone safely," he said.

He added that the events had escalated due to the alleged criminals had retaliated: "It occurred of the retaliation they carried out and the excessive violence by those criminals."

The official further reported that the bodies shown by residents in the neighborhood had been "manipulated".

Via a statement on online platforms, he said that particular individuals had been stripped of the camouflage clothing he said they had been wearing "to redirect responsibility onto the police".

A police official representing security forces further reported that "camouflage clothing, protective equipment, and firearms" were taken away from the bodies and presented video apparently demonstrating a man stripping military attire {off a corpse