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Bruno Itan

A photographer who documented the aftermath of a large-scale law enforcement action in the Brazilian city has recounted how community members brought back badly injured victims of people who lost their lives.

The victims "kept piling up: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the photographer described. Among them were those of police officers.

A particular victim was found without a head - others were "totally disfigured", he said. Many also had what he described as stab wounds.

More than 120 people were killed during Tuesday's raid on a criminal gang - the bloodiest action Rio has experienced.

The eyewitness reported that he initially learned concerning the action Tuesday morning by local people of the Alemão neighbourhood, who contacted him informing him there was a shoot-out.

The photographer made his way to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the casualties were arriving.

Itan explained that the police stopped members of the press from going into the affected area, where the security measures was under way.

"Law enforcement personnel formed a line and said: 'Media representatives cannot proceed beyond this point'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who grew up in that neighborhood, stated he managed to enter into the restricted zone, where he remained until dawn.

He described that evening, area inhabitants started looking the mountainous area that separates Penha from the neighboring Alemão community for loved ones who were unaccounted for after the operation.

Community members of the Penha neighbourhood organized the discovered victims in a square - the photographer's images show the response of the people there.

"The brutality of it all impacted me deeply: the sorrow of loved ones, parents losing consciousness, women carrying children, sobbing, outraged parents," the eyewitness remembered.

Bruno Itan

The official of Rio state stated that the large-scale security action involving around 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at halting a gang called Red Command from growing their influence.

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

Authorities later reported that initial estimates suggests that 117 individuals have been killed.

Rio's public defender's office, that offers legal help to disadvantaged individuals, has estimated the final tally of people killed as 132.

Based on expert analysis, the gang is the only criminal group that in the past few years has succeeded to make territorial gains in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is generally regarded among the biggest criminal organizations in Brazil, together with First Capital Command, featuring a timeline extending half a century.

According to correspondent a specialist, who has been covering crime in Rio over many years, Red Command "works as a system" with local criminal leaders affiliating with the group and acting as "commercial associates".

The criminal group concentrates largely on narcotics distribution, additionally trafficking guns, precious metals, fuel, liquor cigarettes.

According to the authorities, criminal affiliates have substantial firearms and authorities stated that during the raid, they came under attack from explosive-laden drones.

The governor of Rio state, the government representative, characterized organization participants as drug terrorists and described the law enforcement personnel fatally injured in the action as "heroes".

Nevertheless, the total of fatalities during the raid has come in for criticism from UN human rights officials expressing they felt "appalled".

In a media appearance the following day, the official defended the police force.

"It wasn't our intention to result in deaths. We aimed to take suspects into custody without harm," he stated.

He continued that the circumstances intensified because the suspects resisted aggressively: "It resulted of the resistance they carried out and the excessive violence from the gang members."

The governor further reported that the casualties displayed by locals in Penha had been "manipulated".

Through a message through digital channels, he said that certain victims had been removed of military-style attire he said they had been wearing "to redirect responsibility toward law enforcement".

A police official from the police department further reported that "camouflage clothing, vests, and weapons" had been removed from the victims and displayed evidence apparently demonstrating an individual removing tactical gear {off a corpse