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The eyewitness

An eyewitness who documented the results of an extensive law enforcement action in Rio de Janeiro has recounted how community members returned with disfigured remains of the deceased individuals.

The bodies "kept piling up: the count kept increasing", Bruno Itan stated. The total contained those of police officers.

One of the bodies was found without a head - additional victims were "completely mutilated", he explained. Numerous victims displayed evidence of stab wounds.

In excess of 120 victims were fatally injured during Tuesday's raid against a criminal group - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen.

The eyewitness stated that he initially learned concerning the action early on Tuesday by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who reached out telling him gunfire had erupted.

The reporter made his way to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the bodies were arriving.

Itan explained that security forces stopped members of the press from accessing the Penha neighborhood, where the police action were taking place.

"Law enforcement personnel established a perimeter and said: 'Media representatives are not allowed to pass'."

But Itan, who spent his childhood in the community, stated he succeeded to gain access past the security perimeter, where he continued through the night.

He explained that Tuesday night, community members began to search the hillside that borders Penha from the neighboring Alemão community for family members who were unaccounted for since the police raid.

Community members living in Penha organized the recovered bodies in an open area - and Itan's photos display the response of those present.

"The harsh reality of the situation affected me profoundly: the pain of relatives, mothers fainting, pregnant wives, sobbing, outraged parents," the eyewitness remembered.

The photographer

The governor of the state stated that the massive police operation deploying about 2,500 security personnel was designed to stopping a criminal group referred to as Comando Vermelho from increasing their control.

At first, the Rio state government maintained that sixty individuals plus four law enforcement personnel" had been killed in the operation.

Authorities later reported that initial estimates shows that 117 alleged criminals have been killed.

The public legal service, that gives legal support to disadvantaged individuals, has estimated the overall count of fatalities at 132.

Per investigative findings, the gang stands as the sole illegal faction that recently has managed to expand its territory across the region.

It is generally regarded among the biggest criminal organizations in the country, alongside a rival criminal group, with a background spanning over five decades.

According to correspondent a specialist, who has been covering illegal operations in Rio for years, the gang "works as a system" with area gang leaders affiliating with the group and becoming "business partners".

The organization engages primarily in drug trafficking, while also dealing in weapons, gold, fuel, alcohol smoking products.

According to the authorities, criminal affiliates are well armed and authorities stated that during the raid, they came under attack via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The official of the state, Cláudio Castro, characterized organization participants as drug terrorists and referred to the security forces killed in the raid as courageous individuals.

However, the count of people killed during the raid has come in for criticism from international human rights authorities expressing they felt "shocked".

In a media appearance the next day, the state leader defended the police force.

"There was no objective to kill anyone. We aimed to detain everyone safely," he said.

He continued that the circumstances intensified due to the alleged criminals had retaliated: "It was a consequence of the counterattack they carried out and the disproportionate use of force by the illegal group."

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

Through a message through digital channels, he claimed that particular individuals had been stripped of military-style attire that he stated they possessed "to transfer accusation onto the police".

A law enforcement representative of Rio's civil police force also said that tactical gear, protective equipment, and firearms" were taken away from the victims and displayed evidence appearing to show a person stripping military attire {off a corpse