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Bruno Itan

An eyewitness who documented the aftermath of a massive security raid in the metropolitan area has reported how residents came back with badly injured victims of the deceased individuals.

The casualties "continued arriving: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the eyewitness stated. The total contained those of police officers.

One individual was discovered headless - additional victims were "totally disfigured", he explained. Several bodies showed evidence of stab wounds.

Over 120 individuals lost their lives in the Tuesday operation targeting an illegal organization - the most lethal operation Rio has experienced.

The photographer explained that he initially learned to the raid in the early hours by residents from the Alemão area, who reached out telling him gunfire had erupted.

The photographer made his way to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the casualties were being brought.

The eyewitness reported that security forces blocked media personnel from going into the operation zone, where the security measures was under way.

"Police officers created a barrier and said: 'Media representatives cannot proceed beyond this point'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who grew up in the community, explained he was able to gain access into the restricted zone, where he stayed until the next morning.

He explained that evening, local residents started looking the elevated terrain which divides Penha from the adjacent Alemão area for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown since the police raid.

Residents from the Penha area organized the located casualties in a square - the documented evidence reveal the response of the gathered crowd.

"The harsh reality of it all impacted me a lot: the sorrow of loved ones, women collapsing, women carrying children, weeping, furious relatives," the eyewitness remembered.

The photographer

The state leader of the region declared that the massive police operation deploying about 2,500 law enforcement members was intended to stopping a gang called Red Command from growing their influence.

Originally, state authorities stated that sixty individuals and four police officers" lost their lives in the operation.

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

The legal assistance organization, that offers legal help to low-income residents, has calculated the overall count of fatalities at 132.

According to researchers, Red Command stands as the sole illegal faction that in the past few years has been able to make territorial gains across the region.

It is widely considered among the biggest criminal organizations nationally, alongside First Capital Command, featuring a timeline extending half a century.

Based on reporter a specialist, with extensive experience documenting illegal operations in Rio for years, the gang "works as a system" with neighborhood bosses forming part of the gang and becoming "operational allies".

The gang focuses mainly on illegal drug trade, additionally trafficking weapons, precious metals, energy resources, alcohol smoking products.

Based on official reports, organization members possess significant weaponry and authorities stated that while the action was underway, they encountered resistance from explosive-laden drones.

The official of the region, the government representative, described gang affiliates as drug terrorists and referred to the security forces fatally injured in the action as "heroes".

But the number of fatalities in the operation has come in for criticism from international human rights authorities stating they were "shocked".

During a press briefing the following day, the official justified security actions.

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

He continued that the situation worsened as the individuals resisted aggressively: "It resulted of the resistance they implemented and the overwhelming response by the illegal group."

The governor also said that the bodies displayed by locals in the area had been "manipulated".

Via a statement on online platforms, he asserted that certain victims had been stripped of tactical gear that he stated they possessed "to redirect responsibility to security forces".

A law enforcement representative representing security forces additionally stated that military attire, protective equipment, and arms" were taken away from the victims and displayed evidence appearing to show a person cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse