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Bruno Itan

A reporter who observed the results of an extensive law enforcement action in the metropolitan area has recounted how residents brought back disfigured remains of the deceased individuals.

The casualties "kept coming: the count kept increasing", Bruno Itan reported. Among them were law enforcement personnel.

One of the bodies was found without a head - additional victims were "totally disfigured", he reported. Numerous victims displayed evidence of knife injuries.

In excess of 120 victims lost their lives during the security action against a criminal group - the deadliest such raid Rio has experienced.

Bruno Itan reported that he initially learned concerning the action Tuesday morning by community members from the Alemão area, who reached out telling him there was a shoot-out.

The reporter went to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the bodies were coming in.

The eyewitness reported that law enforcement blocked media personnel from entering the Penha neighborhood, where the police action were occurring.

"Police officers established a perimeter and announced: 'Media representatives cannot proceed beyond this point'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who grew up in the area, reported he succeeded to gain access past the security perimeter, where he continued until the next morning.

He described that Tuesday night, community members started looking the mountainous area which divides the Penha neighborhood from the neighboring Alemão community for relatives who had been missing after the operation.

Community members living in Penha organized the discovered victims in a public space - and Itan's photos show the emotions of the people there.

"The violence of the situation shook me deeply: the pain of loved ones, women collapsing, expectant spouses, crying, outraged parents," the eyewitness remembered.

The photographer

The governor of the state stated that the massive police operation involving around 2,500 officers was aimed at halting a criminal group called Comando Vermelho from growing their influence.

At first, state authorities maintained that sixty alleged criminals plus four law enforcement personnel" had been killed in the operation.

Authorities later reported that early calculations indicates that 117 alleged criminals have been killed.

Rio's public defender's office, that offers legal help to the poor, has estimated the final tally of fatalities to be 132.

According to researchers, Red Command stands as the sole illegal faction which in recent years has been able to expand its territory in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is generally regarded one of the two largest gangs nationally, alongside First Capital Command, with a background dating back more than 50 years.

According to correspondent an expert, who has long reported on criminal activity in the city extensively, the gang "operates like a franchise" with neighborhood bosses affiliating with the group and becoming "business partners".

The organization focuses mainly on narcotics distribution, while also dealing in guns, gold, energy resources, beverages cigarettes.

Per law enforcement statements, organization members are well armed and officials reported that while the action was underway, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The official of Rio state, the political leader, described gang affiliates as drug terrorists and referred to the law enforcement personnel killed in the raid as "heroes".

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

In a media appearance on Wednesday, Governor Castro supported law enforcement.

"We did not plan to kill anyone. We wanted to take suspects into custody without harm," he declared.

He further explained that the situation worsened due to the alleged criminals had retaliated: "It occurred of the counterattack they carried out and the overwhelming response by those criminals."

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

Via a statement on online platforms, he said that particular individuals had been stripped of the camouflage clothing that he stated they possessed "in order to shift blame onto the police".

A police official representing security forces further reported that "camouflage clothing, protective equipment, and weapons" were taken away from the casualties and presented video seemingly depicting an individual stripping military attire {off a corpse