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Bruno Itan

An eyewitness who observed the aftermath of a massive security raid in the Brazilian city has recounted how community members came back with disfigured remains of those who had died.

The casualties "continued arriving: the count kept increasing", the eyewitness described. Among them were security forces.

One of the bodies had been decapitated - additional victims were "totally disfigured", he explained. Several bodies showed evidence of knife injuries.

More than 120 people were fatally injured during the security action against a criminal group - the deadliest such raid the municipality has seen.

The photographer reported that he was first alerted to the raid early on Tuesday by local people living in Alemão, who contacted him telling him gunfire had erupted.

The photographer went to the healthcare center, where the casualties were arriving.

The eyewitness reported that law enforcement blocked media personnel from entering the operation zone, where the security measures were taking place.

"Security forces established a perimeter and announced: 'The press doesn't get past here'."

But Itan, who spent his childhood in the community, explained he succeeded to make his way into the restricted zone, where he stayed until the next morning.

He described that evening, community members started looking the hillside which divides the community of Penha and the adjacent Alemão area for relatives who were unaccounted for since the police raid.

Community members from the Penha area proceeded to place the discovered victims in a square - the documented evidence show the emotions of those present.

"The violence of the situation shook me a lot: the sorrow of loved ones, mothers fainting, expectant spouses, weeping, outraged parents," the reporter recounted.

The photographer

The governor of the region announced that the extensive law enforcement effort with approximately 2,500 officers was aimed at preventing an illegal organization known as the criminal faction from growing their influence.

Originally, local officials stated that sixty alleged criminals plus four law enforcement personnel" lost their lives in the raid.

Authorities later reported that early calculations shows that 117 alleged criminals lost their lives.

The legal assistance organization, that offers legal help to low-income residents, has estimated the overall count of people killed to be 132.

According to researchers, the gang is the only criminal group that recently has been able to expand its territory throughout Rio state.

It is generally regarded as a major illegal faction in Brazil, together with First Capital Command, and has a history spanning over five decades.

Based on correspondent an expert, who has been covering crime in Rio over many years, the gang "operates like a franchise" with neighborhood bosses forming part of the gang and acting as "operational allies".

The criminal group engages primarily in drug trafficking, additionally trafficking guns, precious metals, petroleum products, alcohol and tobacco.

Per law enforcement statements, criminal affiliates are well armed and officials reported that during the raid, they faced assaults using drone-delivered explosives.

The state leader of Rio state, the political leader, characterized organization participants as "narcoterrorists" and described the four police officers fatally injured in the action as courageous individuals.

However, the count of fatalities during the raid has received condemnation from UN human rights officials saying it was "shocked".

At a news conference on Wednesday, Governor Castro justified security actions.

"It wasn't our intention to cause fatalities. We aimed to detain everyone safely," he stated.

He continued that the events worsened due to the alleged criminals had retaliated: "It was a consequence of the counterattack they executed and the disproportionate use of force from the gang members."

The governor further reported that the casualties shown by residents in the area had been "tampered with".

In a post through digital channels, he said that certain victims had been removed of military-style attire that he stated they possessed "to redirect responsibility to security forces".

Felipe Curi representing security forces further reported that tactical gear, vests, and firearms" were taken away from the casualties and displayed evidence seemingly depicting a man stripping military attire {off a corpse