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The photographer

A reporter who witnessed the aftermath of a large-scale law enforcement action in the metropolitan area has reported how local people brought back disfigured remains of people who lost their lives.

The victims "kept piling up: the count kept increasing", the eyewitness reported. They included law enforcement personnel.

A particular victim had been decapitated - while others appeared "severely damaged", he explained. Many also had what appeared to be knife injuries.

Over 120 individuals were fatally injured during the security action against a criminal group - the most lethal operation the municipality has seen.

The photographer reported that he initially learned concerning the action in the early hours by local people living in Alemão, who reached out alerting him gunfire had erupted.

The eyewitness made his way to a local medical facility, where the bodies were arriving.

The eyewitness reported that law enforcement stopped members of the press from entering the affected area, where the security measures was under way.

"Security forces established a perimeter and announced: 'Media representatives are not allowed to pass'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who was raised in the area, stated he was able to make his way past the security perimeter, where he remained until dawn.

He described during the night, community members began to search the elevated terrain that borders Penha from the adjacent Alemão area for loved ones who had been missing following the security action.

Residents of the Penha neighbourhood arranged the located casualties in a square - and Itan's photos show the response of the gathered crowd.

"The violence of the situation shook me a lot: the sorrow of loved ones, parents losing consciousness, pregnant wives, crying, furious relatives," the reporter recounted.

The eyewitness

The state leader of the state stated that the extensive law enforcement effort involving around 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at stopping an illegal organization referred to as Comando Vermelho from expanding its territory.

Initially, the Rio state government maintained that sixty individuals and four police officers" had been killed in the operation.

Officials subsequently stated that initial estimates indicates that 117 alleged criminals lost their lives.

The legal assistance organization, that offers legal help to low-income residents, has estimated the total number of casualties at 132.

According to researchers, Red Command represents the unique criminal entity that in the past few years has been able to increase its control across the region.

Experts commonly view one of the two largest gangs in Brazil, in company with a rival criminal group, with a background extending half a century.

According to correspondent Rafael Soares, with extensive experience documenting illegal operations in Rio extensively, the criminal organization "works as a system" with local criminal leaders affiliating with the group and becoming "commercial associates".

The criminal group concentrates largely on drug trafficking, while also dealing in guns, valuable minerals, petroleum products, alcohol smoking products.

Per law enforcement statements, criminal affiliates have substantial firearms and officials reported that throughout the operation, they faced assaults via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The governor of the region, Cláudio Castro, labeled organization participants as drug terrorists and called the law enforcement personnel killed in the raid as brave public servants.

But the number of casualties in the operation has come in for criticism from international human rights authorities stating they were "horrified".

In a media appearance the following day, the state leader supported law enforcement.

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

He added that the circumstances intensified because the suspects fought back: "It resulted of the resistance they executed and the disproportionate use of force by those criminals."

The state leader further reported that the casualties shown by residents in Penha were "altered".

Through a message on online platforms, he asserted that particular individuals had been taken of the camouflage clothing which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation toward law enforcement".

A police official from the police department additionally stated that "camouflage clothing, protective equipment, and firearms" were taken away from the casualties and presented video appearing to show a man stripping military attire {off a corpse