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The photographer

A photographer who witnessed the aftermath of a large-scale security raid in Rio de Janeiro has recounted how residents returned with badly injured victims of the deceased individuals.

The bodies "kept piling up: the count kept increasing", the photographer stated. Among them were those of police officers.

One individual had been decapitated - additional victims were "completely mutilated", he said. Many also had what appeared to be stab wounds.

More than 120 people were fatally injured in the Tuesday operation against a criminal group - the bloodiest action in the city.

The eyewitness reported that he was first alerted to the raid Tuesday morning by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who contacted him informing him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The reporter traveled to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the victims were being brought.

The photographer stated that law enforcement blocked media personnel from accessing the Penha neighborhood, where the operation were taking place.

"Law enforcement personnel formed a line and announced: 'The press doesn't get past here'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who spent his childhood in that neighborhood, explained he was able to make his way past the security perimeter, where he stayed until dawn.

He reported during the night, area inhabitants started looking the elevated terrain which divides the Penha neighborhood from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for relatives who had been missing after the operation.

Local people living in Penha organized the discovered victims in a square - and Itan's photos reveal the reaction of the people there.

"The harsh reality of the situation impacted me deeply: the sorrow of relatives, parents losing consciousness, women carrying children, sobbing, outraged parents," the reporter recounted.

The photographer

The governor of the region stated that the large-scale security action deploying about 2,500 law enforcement members was designed to stopping a criminal group referred to as Comando Vermelho from expanding its territory.

Initially, the Rio state government claimed that sixty alleged criminals along with four officers" lost their lives in the raid.

Officials subsequently stated that initial estimates indicates that 117 individuals have been killed.

The legal assistance organization, that offers legal help to low-income residents, has put the final tally of fatalities at 132.

According to researchers, the criminal organization is the only criminal group that recently has managed to make territorial gains across the region.

It is generally regarded one of the two largest gangs in Brazil, together with another major gang, with a background extending half a century.

Per Brazilian journalist Rafael Soares, with extensive experience documenting illegal operations in Rio over many years, the gang "operates like a franchise" with area gang leaders joining the organization and becoming "operational allies".

The criminal group focuses mainly on narcotics distribution, additionally trafficking firearms, valuable minerals, fuel, liquor cigarettes.

Based on official reports, organization members are well armed and authorities stated that during the raid, they encountered resistance using drone-delivered explosives.

The official of Rio state, the government representative, labeled Red Command members as criminal extremists and called the four police officers who died during the operation as brave public servants.

However, the count of people killed during the raid has come in for criticism from international human rights authorities stating they were "appalled".

In a media appearance the following day, the official justified security actions.

"We did not plan to cause fatalities. We aimed to take suspects into custody without harm," he declared.

He continued that the situation intensified due to the alleged criminals had retaliated: "It was a consequence of the counterattack they carried out and the overwhelming response by the illegal group."

The governor further reported that the casualties presented by community members in the area had been "tampered with".

Via a statement through digital channels, he asserted that some of them had been removed of tactical gear that he stated they possessed "to transfer accusation to security forces".

Felipe Curi representing security forces additionally stated that tactical gear, body armor, and firearms" had been removed from the victims and showed footage appearing to show a person stripping military attire {off a corpse