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Bruno Itan

An eyewitness who witnessed the results of a massive Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has described how community members returned with badly injured victims of people who lost their lives.

The casualties "kept piling up: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the eyewitness reported. They included those of police officers.

One individual was discovered headless - while others appeared "completely mutilated", he reported. Numerous victims displayed what appeared to be blade trauma.

In excess of 120 victims were killed during Tuesday's raid targeting an illegal organization - the most lethal operation Rio has experienced.

Bruno Itan reported that he initially learned about the operation Tuesday morning by residents from the Alemão area, who reached out informing him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The reporter went to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the victims were being brought.

Itan explained that law enforcement blocked media personnel from going into the Penha neighborhood, where the operation was under way.

"Police officers created a barrier and declared: 'Journalists cannot proceed beyond this point'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who spent his childhood in that neighborhood, reported he was able to gain access into the cordoned-off area, where he remained through the night.

He explained that evening, local residents began to search the mountainous area which divides the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown after the operation.

Local people living in Penha proceeded to place the discovered victims in an open area - the photographer's images show the response of the people there.

"The harsh reality of the situation affected me deeply: the sorrow of relatives, women collapsing, expectant spouses, sobbing, outraged parents," the photographer recalled.

Bruno Itan

The governor of Rio state announced that the large-scale security action with approximately 2,500 law enforcement members was intended to stopping an illegal organization called Red Command from growing their influence.

Originally, the Rio state government maintained that sixty individuals along with four officers" were fatally injured in the operation.

They have since said that initial estimates suggests that 117 "suspects" lost their lives.

The public legal service, which provides legal assistance to low-income residents, has calculated the final tally of casualties to be 132.

Based on expert analysis, the gang stands as the sole illegal faction that in the past few years has been able to expand its territory across the region.

Experts commonly view one of the two largest gangs in the country, together with First Capital Command, with a background spanning over five decades.

According to Brazilian journalist a specialist, who has been covering criminal activity in the city for years, the gang "works as a system" with area gang leaders joining the organization and acting as "operational allies".

The gang engages primarily in illegal drug trade, while also dealing in guns, precious metals, energy resources, alcohol smoking products.

According to the authorities, organization members possess significant weaponry and officials reported that while the action was underway, they came under attack using drone-delivered explosives.

The state leader of the region, the political leader, characterized Red Command members as "narcoterrorists" and described the security forces fatally injured in the action as courageous individuals.

But the number of fatalities in the operation has faced scrutiny with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights saying it was "horrified".

At a news conference the next day, Governor Castro justified security actions.

"There was no objective to kill anyone. We aimed to detain everyone safely," he said.

He further explained that the situation worsened as the individuals fought back: "It resulted of the counterattack they carried out and the disproportionate use of force by the illegal group."

The official further reported that the victims presented by community members in the area had been "manipulated".

In a post through digital channels, he asserted that particular individuals had been stripped of tactical gear which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation to security forces".

Felipe Curi representing security forces additionally stated that "camouflage clothing, vests, and arms" had been removed from the victims and presented video seemingly depicting a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse