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The photographer

An eyewitness who documented the consequences of a large-scale law enforcement action in the Brazilian city has described how local people brought back badly injured victims of the deceased individuals.

The victims "kept coming: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the photographer described. They included security forces.

One individual was found without a head - while others appeared "completely mutilated", he reported. Numerous victims displayed evidence of stab wounds.

More than 120 people were killed in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the most lethal operation in the city.

The photographer reported that he initially learned about the operation early on Tuesday by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who sent him messages telling him gunfire had erupted.

The photographer went to a local medical facility, where the victims were coming in.

Itan explained that law enforcement stopped members of the press from entering the affected area, where the operation was under way.

"Law enforcement personnel created a barrier and announced: 'Media representatives cannot proceed beyond this point'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who was raised in that neighborhood, explained he succeeded to gain access into the cordoned-off area, where he stayed until the next morning.

He described that evening, community members started looking the elevated terrain that borders the community of Penha and the adjacent Alemão area for relatives who had been missing since the police raid.

Local people of the Penha neighbourhood proceeded to place the discovered victims in a square - the photographer's images reveal the emotions of the gathered crowd.

"The brutality of what occurred shook me deeply: the pain of loved ones, women collapsing, expectant spouses, sobbing, furious relatives," the reporter recounted.

The eyewitness

The governor of the region stated that the extensive law enforcement effort involving around 2,500 officers was aimed at preventing a gang known as the criminal faction from growing their influence.

Originally, local officials maintained that "60 suspects plus four law enforcement personnel" were fatally injured in the operation.

They have since said that initial estimates indicates that 117 alleged criminals lost their lives.

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to the poor, has estimated the total number of people killed to be 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization stands as the sole illegal faction that in the past few years has managed to expand its territory across the region.

Experts commonly view as a major illegal faction in the country, together with First Capital Command, with a background extending half a century.

Per reporter an expert, who has been covering criminal activity in the city extensively, Red Command "operates like a franchise" with area gang leaders joining the organization and serving as "business partners".

The criminal group engages primarily in narcotics distribution, but also smuggles firearms, precious metals, energy resources, alcohol smoking products.

Based on official reports, organization members have substantial firearms and officials reported that while the action was underway, they faced assaults via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The official of Rio state, the political leader, labeled gang affiliates as "narcoterrorists" and called the security forces who died during the operation as courageous individuals.

Nevertheless, the total of casualties in the security action has received condemnation from international human rights authorities stating they were "appalled".

During a press briefing the next day, Governor Castro supported law enforcement.

"There was no objective to kill anyone. We intended to arrest them all alive," he said.

He added that the circumstances worsened because the suspects had retaliated: "It was a consequence of the counterattack they carried out and the excessive violence from the gang members."

The governor additionally stated that the casualties presented by community members in the neighborhood had been "tampered with".

In a post through digital channels, he claimed that certain victims had been taken of the camouflage clothing he said they had been wearing "to transfer accusation onto the police".

A law enforcement representative of Rio's civil police force also said that tactical gear, protective equipment, and weapons" had been removed from the victims and presented video apparently demonstrating a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse