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The photographer

A photographer who witnessed the aftermath of an extensive law enforcement action in the metropolitan area has reported how local people brought back disfigured remains of the deceased individuals.

The bodies "kept piling up: the count kept increasing", the photographer described. Among them were security forces.

One individual had been decapitated - while others appeared "completely mutilated", he reported. Several bodies showed evidence of blade trauma.

More than 120 people lost their lives during Tuesday's raid targeting an illegal organization - the most lethal operation in the city.

The photographer explained that he was first alerted about the operation in the early hours by community members living in Alemão, who reached out alerting him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The eyewitness made his way to the healthcare center, where the bodies were arriving.

The photographer stated that law enforcement blocked media personnel from accessing the affected area, where the operation were occurring.

"Security forces formed a line and said: 'Journalists doesn't get past here'."

However, the photographer, who grew up in the community, reported he succeeded to make his way past the security perimeter, where he stayed until dawn.

He explained that evening, community members commenced searching the elevated terrain that borders the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for family members who were unaccounted for after the operation.

Residents from the Penha area organized the discovered victims in an open area - the documented evidence display the reaction of the people there.

"The harsh reality of it all impacted me a lot: the pain of the families, women collapsing, pregnant wives, sobbing, outraged parents," the photographer recalled.

The photographer

The governor of the region announced that the massive police operation with approximately 2,500 officers was intended to halting an illegal organization referred to as Red Command from expanding its territory.

Initially, the Rio state government claimed that sixty individuals along with four officers" were fatally injured in the raid.

Authorities later reported that their "preliminary" count shows that 117 "suspects" lost their lives.

The public legal service, that offers legal help to the poor, has put the overall count of people killed to be 132.

Based on expert analysis, Red Command stands as the sole illegal faction that recently has succeeded to increase its control in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is generally regarded one of the two largest gangs in Brazil, alongside another major gang, with a background spanning over five decades.

Based on reporter a specialist, who has been covering illegal operations in Rio extensively, the gang "works as a system" with neighborhood bosses forming part of the gang and serving as "business partners".

The organization focuses mainly on narcotics distribution, while also dealing in weapons, precious metals, petroleum products, liquor smoking products.

According to the authorities, gang members possess significant weaponry and officials reported that while the action was underway, they came under attack via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The official of the region, the government representative, characterized organization participants as drug terrorists and referred to the law enforcement personnel who died during the operation as brave public servants.

Nevertheless, the total of people killed in the operation has come in for criticism with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressing they felt "horrified".

During a press briefing on Wednesday, Governor Castro justified security actions.

"We did not plan to result in deaths. We aimed to detain everyone safely," he stated.

He further explained that the circumstances had escalated due to the alleged criminals resisted aggressively: "It occurred of the retaliation they executed and the overwhelming response from the gang members."

The state leader additionally stated that the bodies presented by community members in the neighborhood were "altered".

In a post on online platforms, he claimed that certain victims had been stripped of military-style attire that he stated they possessed "to transfer accusation to security forces".

Felipe Curi of Rio's civil police force also said that tactical gear, protective equipment, and weapons" were taken away from the bodies and showed footage apparently demonstrating a man stripping military attire {off a corpse