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Bruno Itan

An eyewitness who documented the results of a large-scale security raid in Rio de Janeiro has described how community members returned with disfigured remains of those who had died.

The bodies "kept coming: the numbers kept rising", the photographer stated. The total contained those of police officers.

One individual was discovered headless - while others appeared "totally disfigured", he reported. Several bodies showed evidence of blade trauma.

In excess of 120 victims lost their lives in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the deadliest such raid the municipality has seen.

The photographer explained that residents first notified him to the raid early on Tuesday by community members from the Alemão area, who sent him messages informing him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The eyewitness traveled to a local medical facility, where the victims were being brought.

The eyewitness reported that security forces stopped members of the press from entering the Penha neighborhood, where the security measures was under way.

"Police officers formed a line and said: 'Journalists cannot proceed beyond this point'."

However, the photographer, who was raised in the area, stated he managed to enter into the restricted zone, where he stayed until dawn.

He reported that evening, local residents commenced searching the hillside that borders the Penha neighborhood from the adjacent Alemão area for loved ones who had been missing since the police raid.

Local people of the Penha neighbourhood organized the located casualties in an open area - the photographer's images show the reaction of the gathered crowd.

"The violence of it all shook me deeply: the sorrow of relatives, parents losing consciousness, expectant spouses, crying, furious relatives," the eyewitness remembered.

Bruno Itan

The official of the region announced that the massive police operation with approximately 2,500 security personnel was designed to stopping an illegal organization referred to as the criminal faction from increasing their control.

Originally, the Rio state government claimed that "60 suspects along with four officers" were fatally injured in the raid.

Authorities later reported that their "preliminary" count indicates that 117 alleged criminals lost their lives.

The legal assistance organization, that offers legal help to disadvantaged individuals, has put the total number of fatalities to be 132.

According to researchers, the gang is the only criminal group that recently has been able to expand its territory across the region.

It is widely considered one of the two largest gangs nationally, alongside a rival criminal group, with a background extending half a century.

According to Brazilian journalist an expert, who has been covering criminal activity in the city for years, the gang "operates like a franchise" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and serving as "business partners".

The organization focuses mainly on narcotics distribution, while also dealing in weapons, valuable minerals, petroleum products, alcohol smoking products.

Based on official reports, criminal affiliates have substantial firearms and authorities stated that during the raid, they faced assaults using drone-delivered explosives.

The governor of the state, the political leader, characterized gang affiliates as drug terrorists and called the four police officers who died during the operation as "heroes".

Nevertheless, the total of people killed during the raid has come in for criticism from international human rights authorities stating they were "horrified".

In a media appearance on Wednesday, the official supported law enforcement.

"It wasn't our intention to cause fatalities. We aimed to detain everyone safely," he stated.

He continued that the circumstances worsened as the individuals fought back: "It was a consequence of the resistance they executed and the disproportionate use of force by the illegal group."

The state leader also said that the casualties presented by community members in the area had been "manipulated".

Via a statement on online platforms, he said that certain victims had been taken of tactical gear which he claimed they wore "in order to shift blame to security forces".

Felipe Curi representing security forces additionally stated that "camouflage clothing, protective equipment, and arms" had been removed from the casualties and displayed evidence appearing to show a person cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse