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Bruno Itan

A reporter who observed the aftermath of a massive security raid in the metropolitan area has recounted how residents came back with mutilated bodies of people who lost their lives.

The bodies "kept coming: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the photographer described. Among them were law enforcement personnel.

One of the bodies was discovered headless - others were "totally disfigured", he said. Many also had evidence of stab wounds.

More than 120 people were fatally injured in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the bloodiest action Rio has experienced.

The photographer reported that residents first notified him about the operation early on Tuesday by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages telling him an armed confrontation was occurring.

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

The photographer stated that law enforcement prevented journalists from entering the affected area, where the security measures were occurring.

"Law enforcement personnel created a barrier and announced: 'The press are not allowed to pass'."

But Itan, who spent his childhood in that neighborhood, explained he succeeded to enter past the security perimeter, where he stayed through the night.

He explained during the night, area inhabitants commenced searching the hillside that borders the community of Penha and the adjacent Alemão area for loved ones whose whereabouts were unknown since the police raid.

Residents from the Penha area proceeded to place the discovered victims in a square - the photographer's images show the response of the gathered crowd.

"The brutality of the situation impacted me deeply: the sorrow of relatives, women collapsing, pregnant wives, weeping, outraged parents," the photographer recalled.

Bruno Itan

The official of the state declared that the large-scale security action with approximately 2,500 law enforcement members was designed to stopping a criminal group known as Red Command from growing their influence.

At first, state authorities claimed that "60 suspects plus four law enforcement personnel" had been killed in the operation.

Officials subsequently stated that their "preliminary" count shows that 117 "suspects" were fatally injured.

The public legal service, that offers legal help to disadvantaged individuals, has estimated the final tally of casualties to be 132.

According to researchers, the criminal organization is the only criminal group that in the past few years has succeeded to expand its territory in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is widely considered among the biggest criminal organizations nationally, together with First Capital Command, featuring a timeline extending half a century.

Based on reporter Rafael Soares, who has been covering illegal operations in Rio extensively, Red Command "functions as a network" with area gang leaders joining the organization and serving as "business partners".

The gang engages primarily in narcotics distribution, while also dealing in firearms, valuable minerals, fuel, beverages and tobacco.

Based on official reports, criminal affiliates possess significant weaponry and authorities stated that while the action was underway, they faced assaults via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The state leader of the state, the political leader, characterized organization participants as "narcoterrorists" and referred to the four police officers who died during the operation as brave public servants.

Nevertheless, the total of casualties in the security action has come in for criticism from international human rights authorities expressing they felt "appalled".

During a press briefing the following day, the state leader defended the police force.

"There was no objective to result in deaths. We wanted to detain everyone safely," he declared.

He further explained that the events had escalated as the individuals resisted aggressively: "It was a consequence of the resistance they carried out and the excessive violence by the illegal group."

The official additionally stated that the casualties shown by residents in the area were "altered".

Through a message on social media, he asserted that particular individuals had been taken of the camouflage clothing which he claimed they wore "in order to shift blame to security forces".

A police official from the police department also said that military attire, vests, and firearms" were stripped from the bodies and displayed evidence apparently demonstrating a person stripping military attire {off a corpse