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The photographer

A reporter who documented the results of a massive Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has reported how community members returned with mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The victims "continued arriving: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the eyewitness reported. Among them were law enforcement personnel.

One individual was discovered headless - while others appeared "completely mutilated", he said. Many also had what he described as stab wounds.

Over 120 individuals were fatally injured in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the deadliest such raid the municipality has seen.

Bruno Itan reported that residents first notified him about the operation Tuesday morning by residents from the Alemão area, who sent him messages informing him gunfire had erupted.

The photographer went to a local medical facility, where the victims were being brought.

The eyewitness reported that security forces stopped members of the press from entering the Penha neighborhood, where the police action were occurring.

"Security forces created a barrier and announced: 'Media representatives cannot proceed beyond this point'."

However, the photographer, who spent his childhood in the community, explained he was able to enter into the restricted zone, where he remained through the night.

He reported that evening, community members began to search the hillside that separates Penha from the neighboring Alemão community for relatives who had been missing following the security action.

Residents from the Penha area arranged the located casualties in an open area - the photographer's images display the reaction of those present.

"The harsh reality of it all shook me profoundly: the pain of loved ones, mothers fainting, women carrying children, weeping, outraged parents," the eyewitness remembered.

The photographer

The governor of the state stated that the large-scale security action involving around 2,500 officers was intended to halting a criminal group called Comando Vermelho from growing their influence.

Originally, state authorities maintained that "60 suspects plus four law enforcement personnel" lost their lives in the raid.

They have since said that initial estimates shows that 117 individuals lost their lives.

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has estimated the overall count of casualties to be 132.

According to researchers, the criminal organization represents the unique criminal entity that in the past few years has managed to expand its territory across the region.

It is generally regarded among the biggest criminal organizations in the country, in company with another major gang, and has a history dating back more than 50 years.

According to correspondent a specialist, who has long reported on criminal activity in the city over many years, the gang "functions as a network" with area gang leaders forming part of the gang and becoming "commercial associates".

The criminal group engages primarily in narcotics distribution, but also smuggles weapons, gold, petroleum products, beverages and tobacco.

Per law enforcement statements, criminal affiliates have substantial firearms and authorities stated that while the action was underway, they came under attack using drone-delivered explosives.

The state leader of the state, the government representative, described gang affiliates as criminal extremists and called the four police officers who died during the operation as brave public servants.

But the number of people killed in the security action has received condemnation from international human rights authorities stating they were "appalled".

In a media appearance the next day, the state leader justified security actions.

"We did not plan to result in deaths. We aimed to arrest them all alive," he declared.

He continued that the events had escalated because the suspects fought back: "It was a consequence of the retaliation they carried out and the disproportionate use of force by those criminals."

The state leader further reported that the victims displayed by locals in Penha were "altered".

Through a message on online platforms, he said that particular individuals had been stripped of military-style attire that he stated they possessed "to transfer accusation to security forces".

A law enforcement representative of Rio's civil police force also said that military attire, protective equipment, and firearms" were stripped from the casualties and presented video apparently demonstrating an individual stripping military attire {off a corpse