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Bruno Itan

A photographer who witnessed the results of an extensive law enforcement action in Rio de Janeiro has described how local people returned with badly injured victims of those who had died.

The casualties "kept coming: the numbers kept rising", the eyewitness stated. They included law enforcement personnel.

One of the bodies was found without a head - others were "totally disfigured", he reported. Many also had what appeared to be knife injuries.

Over 120 individuals lost their lives during Tuesday's raid against a criminal group - the bloodiest action the municipality has seen.

The eyewitness stated that he initially learned concerning the action early on Tuesday by residents from the Alemão area, who reached out telling him there was a shoot-out.

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

Itan explained that security forces prevented journalists from going into the Penha neighborhood, where the operation was under way.

"Law enforcement personnel formed a line and announced: 'Journalists are not allowed to pass'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who was raised in that neighborhood, explained he managed to make his way into the restricted zone, where he continued through the night.

He described during the night, local residents started looking the mountainous area that separates the Penha neighborhood from the adjacent Alemão area for relatives who were unaccounted for following the security action.

Local people from the Penha area organized the recovered bodies in a public space - the photographer's images display the response of those present.

"The harsh reality of it all affected me profoundly: the pain of relatives, mothers fainting, expectant spouses, crying, angry family members," the eyewitness remembered.

Bruno Itan

The state leader of the state declared that the massive police operation deploying about 2,500 security personnel was intended to stopping an illegal organization referred to as the criminal faction from growing their influence.

At first, state authorities stated that sixty alleged criminals along with four officers" were fatally injured during the action.

Authorities later reported that their "preliminary" count shows that 117 individuals have been killed.

The public legal service, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has calculated the final tally of people killed at 132.

Per investigative findings, the gang is the only criminal group which in recent years has been able to expand its territory in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is widely considered as a major illegal faction in the country, in company with a rival criminal group, with a background extending half a century.

Based on reporter an expert, with extensive experience documenting criminal activity in the city extensively, the criminal organization "functions as a network" with local criminal leaders forming part of the gang and acting as "commercial associates".

The organization focuses mainly on drug trafficking, additionally trafficking weapons, gold, energy resources, liquor smoking products.

According to the authorities, criminal affiliates have substantial firearms and police said that during the raid, they encountered resistance from explosive-laden drones.

The governor of the state, the political leader, characterized gang affiliates as drug terrorists and referred to the four police officers who died during the operation as brave public servants.

But the number of casualties in the security action has faced scrutiny from international human rights authorities expressing they felt "shocked".

During a press briefing on Wednesday, Governor Castro supported law enforcement.

"It wasn't our intention to kill anyone. We wanted to take suspects into custody without harm," he said.

He added that the circumstances worsened as the individuals resisted aggressively: "It resulted of the retaliation they carried out and the excessive violence by the illegal group."

The official additionally stated that the bodies presented by community members in the area had been "tampered with".

Via a statement on social media, he said that some of them had been stripped of military-style attire which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation to security forces".

A law enforcement representative representing security forces additionally stated that "camouflage clothing, protective equipment, and weapons" were stripped from the bodies and showed footage appearing to show an individual stripping military attire {off a corpse