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The photographer

An eyewitness who witnessed the aftermath of a large-scale law enforcement action in the metropolitan area has reported how residents brought back disfigured remains of those who had died.

The casualties "kept piling up: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", Bruno Itan reported. The total contained those of police officers.

A particular victim was discovered headless - others were "severely damaged", he said. Numerous victims displayed what appeared to be stab wounds.

Over 120 individuals were fatally injured in the Tuesday operation on a criminal gang - the deadliest such raid the municipality has seen.

Bruno Itan reported that he initially learned concerning the action Tuesday morning by residents from the Alemão area, who contacted him telling him there was a shoot-out.

The photographer made his way to the healthcare center, where the casualties were coming in.

Itan explained that the police blocked media personnel from entering the Penha neighborhood, where the security measures were taking place.

"Police officers formed a line and said: 'Media representatives are not allowed to pass'."

But Itan, who spent his childhood in the community, stated he was able to gain access into the restricted zone, where he remained through the night.

He reported that Tuesday night, local residents began to search the hillside that separates Penha from the neighboring Alemão community for relatives who were unaccounted for after the operation.

Community members living in Penha arranged the recovered bodies in a public space - the documented evidence display the reaction of those present.

"The brutality of the situation shook me profoundly: the pain of the families, parents losing consciousness, women carrying children, sobbing, outraged parents," the reporter recounted.

The photographer

The governor of the region declared that the massive police operation with approximately 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at halting a criminal group known as the criminal faction from growing their influence.

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

They have since said that their "preliminary" count shows that 117 individuals lost their lives.

The legal assistance organization, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has put the total number of fatalities as 132.

Based on expert analysis, the gang stands as the sole illegal faction that in the past few years has succeeded to expand its territory in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is widely considered as a major illegal faction in the country, alongside another major gang, featuring a timeline dating back more than 50 years.

Based on Brazilian journalist a specialist, with extensive experience documenting criminal activity in the city over many years, the criminal organization "works as a system" with area gang leaders affiliating with the group and acting as "commercial associates".

The gang engages primarily in illegal drug trade, additionally trafficking weapons, valuable minerals, petroleum products, beverages cigarettes.

Based on official reports, gang members are well armed and officials reported that while the action was underway, they came under attack using drone-delivered explosives.

The governor of the state, the government representative, described organization participants as criminal extremists and described the four police officers fatally injured in the action as "heroes".

But the number of casualties during the raid has received condemnation from international human rights authorities stating they were "shocked".

In a media appearance the next day, the state leader defended the police force.

"We did not plan to cause fatalities. We aimed to detain everyone safely," he said.

He further explained that the circumstances worsened due to the alleged criminals resisted aggressively: "It was a consequence of the counterattack they executed and the disproportionate use of force from the gang members."

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

Through a message on social media, he said that certain victims had been stripped of tactical gear he said they had been wearing "to redirect responsibility to security forces".

A police official representing security forces additionally stated that tactical gear, protective equipment, and firearms" were stripped from the casualties and presented video appearing to show a person cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse