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Bruno Itan

An eyewitness who documented the aftermath of an extensive Brazilian police operation in the Brazilian city has recounted how local people returned with badly injured victims of people who lost their lives.

The victims "continued arriving: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the eyewitness described. The total contained security forces.

One individual was discovered headless - others were "completely mutilated", he said. Numerous victims displayed what he described as stab wounds.

Over 120 individuals were fatally injured in the Tuesday operation against a criminal group - the deadliest such raid the municipality has seen.

The eyewitness reported that he initially learned concerning the action early on Tuesday by local people from the Alemão area, who reached out informing him gunfire had erupted.

The eyewitness made his way to the healthcare center, where the casualties were coming in.

The eyewitness reported that security forces prevented journalists from going into the Penha neighborhood, where the security measures were taking place.

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

But Itan, who spent his childhood in the area, reported he managed to make his way into the cordoned-off area, where he stayed until the next morning.

He reported that evening, local residents commenced searching the elevated terrain that separates the Penha neighborhood from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for relatives who were unaccounted for following the security action.

Local people living in Penha arranged the located casualties in a square - the photographer's images show the response of those present.

"The harsh reality of it all shook me profoundly: the pain of loved ones, mothers fainting, expectant spouses, weeping, angry family members," the eyewitness remembered.

Bruno Itan

The state leader of the region announced that the extensive law enforcement effort involving around 2,500 security personnel was designed to stopping an illegal organization known as Comando Vermelho from increasing their control.

Initially, local officials maintained that sixty individuals plus four law enforcement personnel" were fatally injured during the action.

They have since said that early calculations indicates that 117 alleged criminals were fatally injured.

Rio's public defender's office, which provides legal assistance to disadvantaged individuals, has estimated the overall count of fatalities as 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization stands as the sole illegal faction which in recent years has managed to make territorial gains throughout Rio state.

Experts commonly view among the biggest criminal organizations in Brazil, alongside a rival criminal group, featuring a timeline extending half a century.

Based on Brazilian journalist Rafael Soares, who has been covering illegal operations in Rio extensively, Red Command "operates like a franchise" with area gang leaders affiliating with the group and serving as "business partners".

The gang focuses mainly on narcotics distribution, but also smuggles weapons, gold, energy resources, alcohol cigarettes.

According to the authorities, organization members have substantial firearms and police said that throughout the operation, they encountered resistance from explosive-laden drones.

The governor of the region, the government representative, described organization participants as criminal extremists and referred to the four police officers killed in the raid as courageous individuals.

Nevertheless, the total of casualties during the raid has come in for criticism with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stating they were "horrified".

In a media appearance on Wednesday, the official supported law enforcement.

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

He continued that the circumstances worsened as the individuals fought back: "It occurred of the counterattack they executed and the overwhelming response from the gang members."

The governor also said that the casualties presented by community members in the neighborhood were "altered".

Via a statement on social media, he claimed that some of them had been removed of military-style attire which he claimed they wore "in order to shift blame to security forces".

A police official representing security forces also said that "camouflage clothing, vests, and firearms" had been removed from the victims and showed footage appearing to show a person stripping military attire {off a corpse