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The eyewitness

An eyewitness who documented the results of a large-scale security raid in the Brazilian city has described how community members returned with badly injured victims of the deceased individuals.

The casualties "continued arriving: the numbers kept rising", the photographer stated. The total contained those of police officers.

One individual had been decapitated - while others appeared "totally disfigured", he explained. Several bodies showed what appeared to be stab wounds.

In excess of 120 victims were killed during the security action targeting an illegal organization - the deadliest such raid the municipality has seen.

Bruno Itan stated that residents first notified him concerning the action Tuesday morning by residents from the Alemão area, who contacted him telling him there was a shoot-out.

The reporter traveled to a local medical facility, where the bodies were arriving.

Itan explained that law enforcement blocked media personnel from going into the operation zone, where the security measures was under way.

"Security forces created a barrier and announced: 'The press are not allowed to pass'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who spent his childhood in the area, reported he was able to make his way into the restricted zone, where he remained until dawn.

He described during the night, community members commenced searching the mountainous area that borders the community of Penha and the nearby Alemão neighbourhood for family members who had been missing after the operation.

Community members from the Penha area arranged the located casualties in a square - the photographer's images show the emotions of those present.

"The harsh reality of it all affected me deeply: the sorrow of the families, women collapsing, pregnant wives, sobbing, outraged parents," the photographer recalled.

The photographer

The official of the region declared that the massive police operation with approximately 2,500 officers was designed to preventing an illegal organization called Red Command from expanding its territory.

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

They have since said that initial estimates suggests that 117 alleged criminals lost their lives.

The public legal service, that offers legal help to low-income residents, has put the final tally of people killed at 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization stands as the sole illegal faction that recently has been able to make territorial gains across the region.

It is generally regarded as a major illegal faction in Brazil, in company with First Capital Command, featuring a timeline spanning over five decades.

According to reporter a specialist, with extensive experience documenting criminal activity in the city extensively, the criminal organization "functions as a network" with area gang leaders joining the organization and serving as "business partners".

The criminal group concentrates largely on illegal drug trade, but also smuggles guns, valuable minerals, fuel, beverages and tobacco.

Based on official reports, criminal affiliates are well armed and officials reported that while the action was underway, they faced assaults via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The governor of the region, the political leader, described gang affiliates as criminal extremists and described the security forces fatally injured in the action as brave public servants.

However, the count of casualties in the operation has received condemnation from international human rights authorities stating they were "shocked".

In a media appearance the following day, the state leader supported law enforcement.

"We did not plan to cause fatalities. We intended to detain everyone safely," he declared.

He continued that the circumstances intensified due to the alleged criminals fought back: "It was a consequence of the retaliation they executed and the disproportionate use of force by the illegal group."

The governor further reported that the victims shown by residents in the neighborhood were "altered".

Through a message through digital channels, he asserted that certain victims had been taken of military-style attire that he stated they possessed "to transfer accusation to security forces".

A law enforcement representative representing security forces further reported that "camouflage clothing, protective equipment, and weapons" were stripped from the victims and presented video appearing to show a person cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse