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Bruno Itan

A reporter who observed the results of an extensive security raid in the Brazilian city has reported how community members returned with badly injured victims of people who lost their lives.

The victims "continued arriving: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the eyewitness stated. The total contained security forces.

A particular victim was found without a head - others were "severely damaged", he reported. Many also had what appeared to be stab wounds.

More than 120 people were fatally injured in the Tuesday operation against a criminal group - the most lethal operation Rio has experienced.

The photographer explained that he initially learned to the raid Tuesday morning by community members from the Alemão area, who reached out telling him there was a shoot-out.

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

The photographer stated that the police prevented journalists from entering the operation zone, where the operation was under way.

"Law enforcement personnel formed a line and announced: 'Media representatives are not allowed to pass'."

However, the photographer, who grew up in the area, reported he was able to enter into the restricted zone, where he continued until dawn.

He reported that Tuesday night, area inhabitants began to search the hillside that separates the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for family members who had been missing since the police raid.

Community members of the Penha neighbourhood arranged the discovered victims in an open area - the documented evidence display the reaction of the people there.

"The violence of what occurred shook me deeply: the pain of the families, parents losing consciousness, pregnant wives, crying, angry family members," the eyewitness remembered.

The photographer

The official of Rio state stated that the extensive law enforcement effort with approximately 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at halting an illegal organization called Red Command from increasing their control.

Initially, state authorities claimed that sixty individuals along with four officers" lost their lives in the operation.

Authorities later reported that early calculations indicates that 117 "suspects" have been killed.

The public legal service, which provides legal assistance to low-income residents, has estimated the overall count of casualties to be 132.

Based on expert analysis, the gang stands as the sole illegal faction that recently has managed to increase its control throughout Rio state.

Experts commonly view one of the two largest gangs in the country, in company with a rival criminal group, and has a history dating back more than 50 years.

Per correspondent a specialist, who has long reported on criminal activity in the city over many years, Red Command "works as a system" with neighborhood bosses joining the organization and acting as "business partners".

The organization focuses mainly on drug trafficking, but also smuggles weapons, precious metals, fuel, liquor and tobacco.

Based on official reports, organization members have substantial firearms and police said that while the action was underway, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The governor of the region, the government representative, characterized gang affiliates as drug terrorists and described the security forces killed in the raid as brave public servants.

But the number of people killed during the raid has come in for criticism from international human rights authorities expressing they felt "appalled".

In a media appearance on Wednesday, the official justified security actions.

"It wasn't our intention to kill anyone. We intended to take suspects into custody without harm," he said.

He continued that the events had escalated as the individuals fought back: "It resulted of the retaliation they implemented and the disproportionate use of force from the gang members."

The state leader additionally stated that the casualties shown by residents in the neighborhood were "altered".

Through a message through digital channels, he claimed that certain victims had been stripped of the camouflage clothing that he stated they possessed "in order to shift blame toward law enforcement".

A police official from the police department further reported that military attire, vests, and weapons" were stripped from the casualties and showed footage apparently demonstrating a person cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse