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Bruno Itan

A reporter who observed the consequences of an extensive security raid in the metropolitan area has described how local people came back with disfigured remains of the deceased individuals.

The casualties "continued arriving: the count kept increasing", the eyewitness reported. They included security forces.

A particular victim had been decapitated - while others appeared "totally disfigured", he explained. Many also had what appeared to be knife injuries.

More than 120 people lost their lives in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the bloodiest action in the city.

Bruno Itan reported that he initially learned to the raid early on Tuesday by local people from the Alemão area, who sent him messages telling him gunfire had erupted.

The eyewitness went to the healthcare center, where the victims were coming in.

Itan explained that security forces stopped members of the press from entering the affected area, where the operation was under way.

"Police officers established a perimeter and said: 'Journalists doesn't get past here'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who grew up in the community, explained he succeeded to enter into the cordoned-off area, where he continued through the night.

He reported that evening, area inhabitants began to search the hillside that separates the Penha neighborhood from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown after the operation.

Residents of the Penha neighbourhood organized the recovered bodies in a public space - the photographer's images display the emotions of the people there.

"The harsh reality of what occurred impacted me a lot: the pain of the families, women collapsing, expectant spouses, crying, furious relatives," the eyewitness remembered.

The eyewitness

The state leader of the region stated that the extensive law enforcement effort with approximately 2,500 security personnel was aimed at preventing an illegal organization referred to as Red Command from expanding its territory.

Originally, the Rio state government stated that "60 suspects plus four law enforcement personnel" were fatally injured during the action.

They have since said that early calculations shows that 117 individuals were fatally injured.

The legal assistance organization, which provides legal assistance to the poor, has calculated the final tally of people killed to be 132.

According to researchers, Red Command is the only criminal group that in the past few years has managed to increase its control across the region.

It is generally regarded among the biggest criminal organizations in Brazil, together with a rival criminal group, featuring a timeline dating back more than 50 years.

According to reporter Rafael Soares, who has long reported on illegal operations in Rio extensively, the criminal organization "works as a system" with neighborhood bosses joining the organization and serving as "commercial associates".

The criminal group engages primarily in illegal drug trade, additionally trafficking firearms, precious metals, energy resources, beverages cigarettes.

According to the authorities, criminal affiliates have substantial firearms and officials reported that throughout the operation, they encountered resistance via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The governor of the region, the government representative, labeled Red Command members as "narcoterrorists" and called the law enforcement personnel fatally injured in the action as courageous individuals.

However, the count of casualties in the operation has received condemnation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stating they were "shocked".

In a media appearance the following day, the state leader supported law enforcement.

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

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

The governor further reported that the bodies presented by community members in the area had been "manipulated".

Via a statement on online platforms, he said that certain victims had been taken of tactical gear which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation toward law enforcement".

A police official representing security forces further reported that military attire, body armor, and arms" were taken away from the casualties and showed footage appearing to show an individual removing tactical gear {off a corpse