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The eyewitness

An eyewitness who observed the aftermath of a massive law enforcement action in the metropolitan area has recounted how residents came back with disfigured remains of people who lost their lives.

The casualties "continued arriving: the count kept increasing", the eyewitness reported. They included security forces.

One individual was discovered headless - others were "totally disfigured", he reported. Numerous victims displayed evidence of stab wounds.

In excess of 120 victims were fatally injured during the security action against a criminal group - the deadliest such raid the municipality has seen.

The eyewitness reported that he was first alerted to the raid Tuesday morning by residents from the Alemão area, who reached out informing him gunfire had erupted.

The eyewitness traveled to the Getúlio Vargas hospital, where the casualties were being brought.

Itan explained that security forces blocked media personnel from accessing the affected area, where the operation were occurring.

"Police officers created a barrier and declared: 'Journalists doesn't get past here'."

But Itan, who grew up in the community, stated he managed to gain access into the restricted zone, where he remained through the night.

He reported that Tuesday night, local residents started looking the elevated terrain which divides the Penha neighborhood from the neighboring Alemão community for family members who were unaccounted for since the police raid.

Community members from the Penha area arranged the discovered victims in a public space - the photographer's images display the response of those present.

"The harsh reality of what occurred affected me a lot: the sorrow of loved ones, mothers fainting, pregnant wives, sobbing, furious relatives," the eyewitness remembered.

Bruno Itan

The official of the state announced that the extensive law enforcement effort involving around 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at halting a gang called the criminal faction from growing their influence.

Initially, local officials maintained that "60 suspects and four police officers" had been killed in the raid.

Officials subsequently stated that early calculations indicates that 117 "suspects" have been killed.

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to low-income residents, has estimated the overall count of fatalities to be 132.

Per investigative findings, the criminal organization is the only criminal group that recently has succeeded to expand its territory in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is generally regarded one of the two largest gangs in the country, together with a rival criminal group, featuring a timeline spanning over five decades.

Based on Brazilian journalist a specialist, who has long reported on crime in Rio extensively, the gang "works as a system" with neighborhood bosses forming part of the gang and acting as "operational allies".

The criminal group concentrates largely on narcotics distribution, but also smuggles guns, gold, energy resources, alcohol smoking products.

Based on official reports, gang members are well armed and officials reported that during the raid, they came under attack via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The governor of the region, the political leader, labeled organization participants as criminal extremists and called the security forces who died during the operation as brave public servants.

However, the count of casualties in the operation has come in for criticism with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights saying it was "shocked".

At a news conference the following day, the official supported law enforcement.

"There was no objective to cause fatalities. We wanted to arrest them all alive," he said.

He added that the circumstances worsened as the individuals fought back: "It occurred of the resistance they carried out and the excessive violence by the illegal group."

The governor additionally stated that the bodies presented by community members in the area had been "manipulated".

In a post on online platforms, he asserted that some of them had been stripped of the camouflage clothing which he claimed they wore "to transfer accusation onto the police".

A law enforcement representative representing security forces additionally stated that "camouflage clothing, protective equipment, and firearms" had been removed from the victims and displayed evidence seemingly depicting a man removing tactical gear {off a corpse