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Bruno Itan

An eyewitness who documented the results of a massive Brazilian police operation in the Brazilian city has reported how local people brought back mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The bodies "kept coming: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the eyewitness stated. The total contained security forces.

One individual was discovered headless - while others appeared "severely damaged", he explained. Many also had what he described as blade trauma.

In excess of 120 victims were fatally injured during the security action against a criminal group - the deadliest such raid Rio has experienced.

Bruno Itan explained that residents first notified him about the operation Tuesday morning by residents living in Alemão, who sent him messages alerting him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The reporter made his way to the healthcare center, where the bodies were being brought.

The eyewitness reported that law enforcement prevented journalists from entering the affected area, where the operation were occurring.

"Law enforcement personnel created a barrier and declared: 'Journalists doesn't get past here'."

However, the photographer, who was raised in that neighborhood, stated he managed to gain access into the restricted zone, where he continued through the night.

He described that Tuesday night, community members began to search the elevated terrain that separates the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown following the security action.

Community members from the Penha area proceeded to place the recovered bodies in an open area - the documented evidence show the emotions of the gathered crowd.

"The violence of what occurred shook me profoundly: the pain of the families, mothers fainting, expectant spouses, crying, angry family members," the photographer recalled.

Bruno Itan

The state leader of the region declared that the large-scale security action with approximately 2,500 law enforcement members was designed to preventing a criminal group called Red Command from expanding its territory.

Originally, state authorities maintained that sixty alleged criminals plus four law enforcement personnel" were fatally injured during the action.

Authorities later reported that their "preliminary" count shows that 117 alleged criminals lost their lives.

Rio's public defender's office, which provides legal assistance to low-income residents, has calculated the total number of people killed as 132.

Per investigative findings, Red Command stands as the sole illegal faction that recently has succeeded to make territorial gains across the region.

It is widely considered one of the two largest gangs in Brazil, alongside another major gang, with a background dating back more than 50 years.

According to reporter a specialist, with extensive experience documenting illegal operations in Rio over many years, the criminal organization "functions as a network" with neighborhood bosses joining the organization and acting as "commercial associates".

The gang focuses mainly on narcotics distribution, while also dealing in firearms, precious metals, fuel, liquor smoking products.

According to the authorities, criminal affiliates possess significant weaponry and officials reported that while the action was underway, they encountered resistance using drone-delivered explosives.

The governor of Rio state, the political leader, characterized organization participants as "narcoterrorists" and described the security forces who died during the operation as "heroes".

However, the count of fatalities in the operation has come in for criticism with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressing they felt "appalled".

During a press briefing on Wednesday, the official supported law enforcement.

"We did not plan to cause fatalities. We intended to arrest them all alive," he declared.

He continued that the circumstances had escalated as the individuals had retaliated: "It occurred of the retaliation they carried out and the disproportionate use of force by the illegal group."

The state leader additionally stated that the victims shown by residents in the area were "altered".

Via a statement on social media, he asserted that particular individuals had been stripped of the camouflage clothing which he claimed they wore "in order to shift blame onto the police".

A law enforcement representative from the police department further reported that military attire, body armor, and weapons" were taken away from the victims and showed footage apparently demonstrating a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse