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Bruno Itan

A photographer who observed the consequences of a large-scale law enforcement action in the Brazilian city has described how local people came back with disfigured remains of the deceased individuals.

The casualties "continued arriving: the numbers kept rising", Bruno Itan described. They included security forces.

A particular victim had been decapitated - additional victims were "severely damaged", he explained. Many also had what he described as stab wounds.

More than 120 people were killed during the security action targeting an illegal organization - the bloodiest action Rio has experienced.

The eyewitness stated that he was first alerted concerning the action in the early hours by local people of the Alemão neighbourhood, who contacted him informing him gunfire had erupted.

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

The eyewitness reported that law enforcement blocked media personnel from accessing the operation zone, where the security measures were occurring.

"Security forces created a barrier and announced: 'Journalists cannot proceed beyond this point'."

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

He explained that Tuesday night, community members began to search the elevated terrain that borders the community of Penha and the neighboring Alemão community for family members who were unaccounted for after the operation.

Local people from the Penha area organized the located casualties in a square - the documented evidence reveal the reaction of the gathered crowd.

"The brutality of what occurred impacted me a lot: the sorrow of loved ones, parents losing consciousness, expectant spouses, weeping, angry family members," the eyewitness remembered.

Bruno Itan

The official of Rio state announced that the massive police operation deploying about 2,500 law enforcement members was intended to halting a criminal group referred to as the criminal faction from growing their influence.

Initially, the Rio state government claimed that "60 suspects along with four officers" lost their lives in the operation.

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

Rio's public defender's office, which provides legal assistance to disadvantaged individuals, has estimated the total number of fatalities as 132.

According to researchers, the criminal organization represents the unique criminal entity which in recent years has been able to make territorial gains in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Experts commonly view as a major illegal faction in the country, together with First Capital Command, and has a history spanning over five decades.

Per reporter a specialist, who has been covering criminal activity in the city extensively, the criminal organization "operates like a franchise" with area gang leaders affiliating with the group and acting as "operational allies".

The gang concentrates largely on narcotics distribution, while also dealing in guns, gold, energy resources, beverages and tobacco.

Based on official reports, organization members have substantial firearms and officials reported that while the action was underway, they came under attack using drone-delivered explosives.

The state leader of Rio state, Cláudio Castro, characterized organization participants as "narcoterrorists" and called the security forces fatally injured in the action as brave public servants.

However, the count of fatalities in the security action has come in for criticism from UN human rights officials saying it was "appalled".

In a media appearance the next day, the official supported law enforcement.

"We did not plan to result in deaths. We intended to take suspects into custody without harm," he declared.

He continued that the events had escalated because the suspects had retaliated: "It resulted of the retaliation they implemented and the excessive violence by the illegal group."

The state leader additionally stated that the casualties displayed by locals in the area were "altered".

In a post on social media, he asserted that certain victims had been removed of the camouflage clothing he said they had been wearing "to redirect responsibility toward law enforcement".

A law enforcement representative representing security forces also said that "camouflage clothing, body armor, and arms" had been removed from the casualties and showed footage seemingly depicting an individual removing tactical gear {off a corpse