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Bruno Itan

A photographer who documented the aftermath of a massive security raid in Rio de Janeiro has reported how community members returned with disfigured remains of those who had died.

The casualties "kept piling up: the numbers kept rising", the photographer reported. The total contained those of police officers.

One individual had been decapitated - additional victims were "severely damaged", he said. Numerous victims displayed evidence of stab wounds.

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

The eyewitness explained that residents first notified him concerning the action early on Tuesday by residents from the Alemão area, who sent him messages alerting him there was a shoot-out.

The photographer went to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the casualties were being brought.

The photographer stated that the police stopped members of the press from accessing the Penha neighborhood, where the security measures were taking place.

"Law enforcement personnel established a perimeter and declared: 'The press doesn't get past here'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who spent his childhood in that neighborhood, reported he managed to gain access into the cordoned-off area, where he remained until the next morning.

He described that evening, local residents began to search the mountainous area that borders the Penha neighborhood from the adjacent Alemão area for family members whose whereabouts were unknown since the police raid.

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

"The violence of the situation affected me profoundly: the pain of loved ones, women collapsing, expectant spouses, crying, furious relatives," the eyewitness remembered.

The photographer

The official of Rio state stated that the extensive law enforcement effort involving around 2,500 security personnel was intended to preventing a criminal group known as Red Command from increasing their control.

At first, state authorities stated that sixty alleged criminals and four police officers" lost their lives during the action.

Officials subsequently stated that initial estimates indicates that 117 individuals have been killed.

The public legal service, that offers legal help to the poor, has put the final tally of casualties to be 132.

Per investigative findings, Red Command represents the unique criminal entity that in the past few years has been able to increase its control throughout Rio state.

It is generally regarded among the biggest criminal organizations in Brazil, in company with First Capital Command, featuring a timeline dating back more than 50 years.

Based on reporter an expert, who has long reported on illegal operations in Rio for years, the criminal organization "works as a system" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and serving as "operational allies".

The organization engages primarily in drug trafficking, additionally trafficking guns, valuable minerals, petroleum products, beverages and tobacco.

According to the authorities, criminal affiliates possess significant weaponry and police said that while the action was underway, they encountered resistance using drone-delivered explosives.

The official of the state, Cláudio Castro, labeled organization participants as drug terrorists and called the four police officers who died during the operation as brave public servants.

But the number of people killed during the raid has come in for criticism with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stating they were "horrified".

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

"There was no objective to cause fatalities. We intended to take suspects into custody without harm," he stated.

He further explained that the situation had escalated as the individuals fought back: "It resulted of the counterattack they carried out and the excessive violence from the gang members."

The governor further reported that the casualties presented by community members in the neighborhood had been "manipulated".

Through a message on social media, he asserted that particular individuals had been removed of military-style attire he said they had been wearing "in order to shift blame toward law enforcement".

A police official of Rio's civil police force further reported that "camouflage clothing, vests, and firearms" had been removed from the victims and presented video seemingly depicting an individual stripping military attire {off a corpse