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Bruno Itan

A reporter who witnessed the consequences of an extensive Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has described how community members brought back badly injured victims of the deceased individuals.

The victims "continued arriving: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the eyewitness reported. They included those of police officers.

A particular victim was discovered headless - others were "completely mutilated", he explained. Several bodies showed evidence of knife injuries.

More than 120 people lost their lives during Tuesday's raid on a criminal gang - the bloodiest action in the city.

The photographer reported that residents first notified him about the operation Tuesday morning by local people of the Alemão neighbourhood, who reached out informing him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The reporter went to the healthcare center, where the casualties were arriving.

The photographer stated that security forces prevented journalists from entering the operation zone, where the police action was under way.

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

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who was raised in that neighborhood, stated he was able to enter into the cordoned-off area, where he stayed through the night.

He reported that Tuesday night, community members started looking the hillside which divides the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for loved ones whose whereabouts were unknown after the operation.

Community members of the Penha neighbourhood proceeded to place the discovered victims in a square - and Itan's photos reveal the response of the gathered crowd.

"The harsh reality of it all shook me profoundly: the sorrow of relatives, parents losing consciousness, pregnant wives, sobbing, furious relatives," the photographer recalled.

Bruno Itan

The governor of the state announced that the massive police operation with approximately 2,500 officers was aimed at halting a gang known as Red Command from increasing their control.

Initially, the Rio state government maintained that sixty alleged criminals and four police officers" were fatally injured during the action.

Officials subsequently stated that early calculations suggests that 117 alleged criminals were fatally injured.

The public legal service, which provides legal assistance to the poor, has calculated the final tally of fatalities as 132.

According to researchers, the gang is the only criminal group which in recent years has been able to expand its territory across the region.

It is generally regarded as a major illegal faction in Brazil, in company with a rival criminal group, with a background dating back more than 50 years.

Per reporter a specialist, who has long reported on crime in Rio over many years, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with local criminal leaders joining the organization and serving as "operational allies".

The criminal group concentrates largely on narcotics distribution, but also smuggles guns, gold, energy resources, alcohol smoking products.

According to the authorities, organization members have substantial firearms and authorities stated that throughout the operation, they faced assaults from explosive-laden drones.

The governor of Rio state, the government representative, labeled organization participants as drug terrorists and called the four police officers fatally injured in the action as "heroes".

But the number of people killed in the operation has received condemnation from international human rights authorities expressing they felt "shocked".

In a media appearance the following day, the official defended the police force.

"It wasn't our intention to cause fatalities. We aimed to take suspects into custody without harm," he stated.

He continued that the situation worsened as the individuals fought back: "It occurred of the retaliation they executed and the excessive violence from the gang members."

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

In a post on social media, he asserted that certain victims had been stripped of tactical gear which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation onto the police".

A police official of Rio's civil police force additionally stated that military attire, protective equipment, and weapons" had been removed from the casualties and showed footage seemingly depicting a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse