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The eyewitness

An eyewitness who documented the aftermath of a large-scale law enforcement action in the Brazilian city has reported how community members returned with mutilated bodies of the deceased individuals.

The bodies "kept piling up: 25, 30, 35, 40, 45...", the eyewitness described. Among them were security forces.

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

More than 120 people were killed during the security action targeting an illegal organization - the bloodiest action in the city.

The eyewitness reported that he was first alerted concerning the action early on Tuesday by residents of the Alemão neighbourhood, who contacted him alerting him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The eyewitness made his way to the healthcare center, where the victims were coming in.

The eyewitness reported that security forces stopped members of the press from entering the Penha neighborhood, where the security measures was under way.

"Police officers formed a line and said: 'Journalists are not allowed to pass'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who grew up in the community, stated he was able to make his way into the cordoned-off area, where he remained through the night.

He reported that evening, local residents started looking the elevated terrain that borders Penha from the neighboring Alemão community for relatives who were unaccounted for following the security action.

Community members of the Penha neighbourhood proceeded to place the recovered bodies in a square - the documented evidence display the response of the gathered crowd.

"The harsh reality of what occurred shook me deeply: the sorrow of the families, parents losing consciousness, pregnant wives, weeping, angry family members," the reporter recounted.

The eyewitness

The official of the state declared that the extensive law enforcement effort involving around 2,500 security personnel was intended to halting an illegal organization called the criminal faction from expanding its territory.

At first, local officials stated that sixty individuals plus four law enforcement personnel" lost their lives in the operation.

Authorities later reported that early calculations suggests that 117 individuals were fatally injured.

The legal assistance organization, that gives legal support to disadvantaged individuals, has estimated the final tally of casualties at 132.

Based on expert analysis, the gang stands as the sole illegal faction that recently has managed to expand its territory across the region.

It is widely considered as a major illegal faction nationally, together with a rival criminal group, with a background spanning over five decades.

Per correspondent a specialist, who has been covering illegal operations in Rio extensively, the gang "functions as a network" with area gang leaders forming part of the gang and becoming "business partners".

The gang engages primarily in narcotics distribution, but also smuggles weapons, gold, petroleum products, alcohol smoking products.

Based on official reports, criminal affiliates possess significant weaponry and police said that during the raid, they faced assaults from explosive-laden drones.

The governor of the state, the political leader, labeled Red Command members as "narcoterrorists" and described the security forces killed in the raid as courageous individuals.

However, the count of fatalities in the security action has come in for criticism with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressing they felt "appalled".

During a press briefing the next day, the official supported law enforcement.

"It wasn't our intention to result in deaths. We aimed to arrest them all alive," he stated.

He added that the circumstances worsened because the suspects had retaliated: "It resulted of the resistance they implemented and the excessive violence by those criminals."

The state leader additionally stated that the bodies shown by residents in the neighborhood had been "tampered with".

Through a message on social media, he claimed that certain victims had been removed of the camouflage clothing he said they had been wearing "to redirect responsibility onto the police".

A police official from the police department also said that "camouflage clothing, protective equipment, and arms" were stripped from the casualties and showed footage apparently demonstrating a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse