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Bruno Itan

An eyewitness who documented the consequences of a large-scale law enforcement action in the metropolitan area has reported how community members brought back badly injured victims of those who had died.

The victims "kept coming: the numbers kept rising", Bruno Itan reported. They included security forces.

One individual was found without a head - additional victims were "severely damaged", he said. Many also had what appeared to be stab wounds.

Over 120 individuals were fatally injured in the Tuesday operation on a criminal gang - the most lethal operation the municipality has seen.

The eyewitness reported that he was first alerted about the operation in the early hours by residents from the Alemão area, who sent him messages informing him there was a shoot-out.

The eyewitness went to the healthcare center, where the bodies were coming in.

The photographer stated that law enforcement blocked media personnel from accessing the Penha neighborhood, where the police action were taking place.

"Police officers established a perimeter and announced: 'Media representatives cannot proceed beyond this point'."

However, the photographer, who grew up in the community, explained he managed to make his way into the cordoned-off area, where he continued through the night.

He described during the night, area inhabitants began to search the mountainous area that borders the Penha neighborhood from the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for relatives who had been missing following the security action.

Local people of the Penha neighbourhood organized the recovered bodies in a square - the photographer's images display the reaction of the people there.

"The harsh reality of it all impacted me a lot: the pain of relatives, mothers fainting, expectant spouses, weeping, outraged parents," the photographer recalled.

The photographer

The official of the region stated that the extensive law enforcement effort with approximately 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at preventing an illegal organization called Comando Vermelho from increasing their control.

At first, state authorities claimed that "60 suspects and four police officers" were fatally injured during the action.

Authorities later reported that early calculations suggests that 117 alleged criminals were fatally injured.

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

According to researchers, the criminal organization stands as the sole illegal faction that in the past few years has been able to expand its territory in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is widely considered as a major illegal faction nationally, alongside First Capital Command, and has a history dating back more than 50 years.

According to correspondent Rafael Soares, who has been covering illegal operations in Rio over many years, the gang "functions as a network" with local criminal leaders joining the organization and becoming "business partners".

The gang engages primarily in drug trafficking, but also smuggles weapons, valuable minerals, fuel, alcohol and tobacco.

Per law enforcement statements, criminal affiliates are well armed and officials reported that while the action was underway, they faced assaults from explosive-laden drones.

The governor of Rio state, the political leader, labeled Red Command members as "narcoterrorists" and described the security forces fatally injured in the action as brave public servants.

Nevertheless, the total of casualties in the operation has received condemnation from international human rights authorities stating they were "appalled".

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

"We did not plan to kill anyone. We aimed to detain everyone safely," he stated.

He further explained that the events worsened due to the alleged criminals fought back: "It was a consequence of the counterattack they implemented and the overwhelming response from the gang members."

The state leader further reported that the victims displayed by locals in the area had been "manipulated".

In a post on online platforms, he claimed that particular individuals had been removed of military-style attire that he stated they possessed "to transfer accusation to security forces".

A law enforcement representative from the police department further reported that "camouflage clothing, body armor, and arms" were stripped from the bodies and showed footage appearing to show a man stripping military attire {off a corpse