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Bruno Itan

A reporter who witnessed the results of an extensive law enforcement action in the Brazilian city has reported how residents came back with disfigured remains of people who lost their lives.

The victims "kept coming: the count kept increasing", the eyewitness stated. Among them were those of police officers.

A particular victim was discovered headless - while others appeared "completely mutilated", he reported. Several bodies showed evidence of stab wounds.

Over 120 individuals lost their lives during the security action on a criminal gang - the deadliest such raid in the city.

Bruno Itan stated that he initially learned to the raid early on Tuesday by residents living in Alemão, who contacted him alerting him there was a shoot-out.

The eyewitness went to a local medical facility, where the bodies were coming in.

The eyewitness reported that the police blocked media personnel from accessing the Penha neighborhood, where the operation were occurring.

"Police officers established a perimeter and said: 'Journalists doesn't get past here'."

However, the photographer, who spent his childhood in the community, reported he managed to make his way past the security perimeter, where he continued until the next morning.

He reported during the night, area inhabitants began to search the elevated terrain which divides the community of Penha and the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for loved ones who had been missing following the security action.

Local people from the Penha area arranged the discovered victims in a public space - and Itan's photos show the reaction of the gathered crowd.

"The brutality of the situation shook me a lot: the grief of the families, women collapsing, women carrying children, sobbing, furious relatives," the eyewitness remembered.

Bruno Itan

The official of Rio state announced that the massive police operation involving around 2,500 security personnel was aimed at stopping a criminal group known as Red Command from increasing their control.

Initially, the Rio state government stated that sixty alleged criminals and four police officers" had been killed in the operation.

Authorities later reported that their "preliminary" count shows that 117 alleged criminals have been killed.

The public legal service, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has put the total number of casualties to be 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization represents the unique criminal entity that recently has managed to increase its control across the region.

It is generally regarded as a major illegal faction in Brazil, alongside First Capital Command, featuring a timeline dating back more than 50 years.

Per reporter Rafael Soares, who has long reported on illegal operations in Rio over many years, Red Command "works as a system" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and serving as "business partners".

The criminal group engages primarily in illegal drug trade, but also smuggles guns, gold, energy resources, alcohol smoking products.

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

The official of the region, the political leader, characterized Red Command members as criminal extremists and described the four police officers who died during the operation as "heroes".

Nevertheless, the total of casualties in the security action has received condemnation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights saying it was "appalled".

At a news conference the following day, Governor Castro defended the police force.

"We did not plan to result in deaths. We aimed to take suspects into custody without harm," he stated.

He continued that the events worsened as the individuals had retaliated: "It occurred of the retaliation they carried out and the overwhelming response by those criminals."

The official further reported that the bodies presented by community members in the neighborhood had been "tampered with".

In a post through digital channels, he claimed that particular individuals had been taken of the camouflage clothing that he stated they possessed "to transfer accusation onto the police".

A police official representing security forces further reported that tactical gear, protective equipment, and firearms" were stripped from the bodies and showed footage appearing to show a person stripping military attire {off a corpse