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Bruno Itan

A reporter who observed the results of a large-scale law enforcement action in the Brazilian city has reported how residents brought back mutilated bodies of those who had died.

The casualties "kept coming: the count kept increasing", the eyewitness described. Among them were law enforcement personnel.

One individual was found without a head - others were "completely mutilated", he reported. Many also had what appeared to be blade trauma.

In excess of 120 victims lost their lives during Tuesday's raid against a criminal group - the deadliest such raid in the city.

The photographer explained that he initially learned to the raid in the early hours by community members from the Alemão area, who sent him messages informing him gunfire had erupted.

The photographer went to a local medical facility, where the bodies were being brought.

The eyewitness reported that law enforcement stopped members of the press from going into the affected area, where the security measures were occurring.

"Police officers established a perimeter and said: 'The press are not allowed to pass'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who grew up in that neighborhood, explained he managed to enter into the cordoned-off area, where he stayed until dawn.

He reported that Tuesday night, local residents began to search the mountainous area that borders Penha from the neighboring Alemão community for loved ones who were unaccounted for after the operation.

Residents of the Penha neighbourhood proceeded to place the recovered bodies in a square - the documented evidence reveal the emotions of the gathered crowd.

"The brutality of it all affected me a lot: the sorrow of loved ones, mothers fainting, women carrying children, sobbing, outraged parents," the reporter recounted.

The photographer

The state leader of the state stated that the massive police operation with approximately 2,500 law enforcement members was designed to preventing a criminal group called Red Command from expanding its territory.

At first, local officials claimed that sixty alleged criminals and four police officers" had been killed in the raid.

Officials subsequently stated that early calculations suggests that 117 alleged criminals have been killed.

Rio's public defender's office, which provides legal assistance to disadvantaged individuals, has calculated the final tally of casualties to be 132.

According to researchers, the criminal organization stands as the sole illegal faction that recently has managed to increase its control throughout Rio state.

It is generally regarded as a major illegal faction in the country, together with a rival criminal group, and has a history dating back more than 50 years.

Based on reporter a specialist, who has been covering criminal activity in the city extensively, Red Command "functions as a network" with local criminal leaders affiliating with the group and acting as "business partners".

The organization focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, but also smuggles firearms, gold, fuel, beverages smoking products.

According to the authorities, criminal affiliates are well armed and authorities stated that throughout the operation, they faced assaults from explosive-laden drones.

The governor of Rio state, the government representative, labeled gang affiliates as criminal extremists and referred to the security forces killed in the raid as courageous individuals.

However, the count of casualties in the security action has faced scrutiny with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stating they were "shocked".

During a press briefing on Wednesday, the official defended the police force.

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

He further explained that the situation intensified due to the alleged criminals had retaliated: "It occurred of the retaliation they implemented and the disproportionate use of force from the gang members."

The governor further reported that the victims shown by residents in Penha had been "manipulated".

In a post on online platforms, he said that some of them had been stripped of the camouflage clothing which he claimed they wore "in order to shift blame onto the police".

A police official from the police department additionally stated that "camouflage clothing, body armor, and firearms" were taken away from the casualties and presented video seemingly depicting an individual cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse