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The photographer

An eyewitness who witnessed the results of a massive security raid in Rio de Janeiro has reported how community members returned with disfigured remains of the deceased individuals.

The victims "kept piling up: the count kept increasing", the photographer reported. The total contained law enforcement personnel.

A particular victim was discovered headless - additional victims were "totally disfigured", he explained. Many also had evidence of stab wounds.

More than 120 people were killed during Tuesday's raid targeting an illegal organization - the deadliest such raid Rio has experienced.

The eyewitness stated that he was first alerted concerning the action in the early hours by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages informing him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The eyewitness made his way to a local medical facility, where the victims were coming in.

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

"Police officers formed a line and declared: 'Media representatives cannot proceed beyond this point'."

However, the photographer, who was raised in the area, explained he managed to enter past the security perimeter, where he continued until the next morning.

He reported that evening, area inhabitants began to search the mountainous area that borders Penha from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for family members who were unaccounted for after the operation.

Community members living in Penha arranged the discovered victims in a square - the documented evidence reveal the emotions of those present.

"The harsh reality of what occurred impacted me a lot: the sorrow of relatives, mothers fainting, pregnant wives, weeping, furious relatives," the reporter recounted.

Bruno Itan

The state leader of the state declared that the massive police operation with approximately 2,500 officers was intended to preventing a gang referred to as Red Command from expanding its territory.

At first, local officials claimed that sixty alleged criminals along with four officers" had been killed in the raid.

Officials subsequently stated that initial estimates suggests that 117 individuals were fatally injured.

Rio's public defender's office, which provides legal assistance to disadvantaged individuals, has calculated the final tally of casualties as 132.

According to researchers, the criminal organization is the only criminal group which in recent years has succeeded to expand its territory throughout Rio state.

It is widely considered one of the two largest gangs in Brazil, alongside a rival criminal group, featuring a timeline dating back more than 50 years.

Per reporter Rafael Soares, with extensive experience documenting criminal activity in the city extensively, Red Command "functions as a network" with area gang leaders forming part of the gang and serving as "business partners".

The gang focuses mainly on drug trafficking, but also smuggles firearms, precious metals, petroleum products, beverages smoking products.

Per law enforcement statements, organization members possess significant weaponry and authorities stated that during the raid, they encountered resistance using drone-delivered explosives.

The official of Rio state, Cláudio Castro, characterized gang affiliates as drug terrorists and described the law enforcement personnel who died during the operation as courageous individuals.

Nevertheless, the total of people killed in the security action has received condemnation from UN human rights officials expressing they felt "shocked".

During a press briefing on Wednesday, the state leader defended the police force.

"There was no objective to result in deaths. We aimed to take suspects into custody without harm," he declared.

He further explained that the circumstances intensified because the suspects had retaliated: "It occurred of the retaliation they implemented and the excessive violence by the illegal group."

The governor additionally stated that the bodies displayed by locals in Penha had been "tampered with".

Through a message through digital channels, he claimed that certain victims had been taken of military-style attire which he claimed they wore "to redirect responsibility to security forces".

A law enforcement representative representing security forces additionally stated that military attire, protective equipment, and arms" were taken away from the victims and displayed evidence appearing to show a man removing tactical gear {off a corpse