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The photographer

A reporter who observed the results of a large-scale Brazilian police operation in Rio de Janeiro has reported how community members brought back badly injured victims of the deceased individuals.

The bodies "kept piling up: the count kept increasing", the photographer described. Among them were those of police officers.

A particular victim was found without a head - additional victims were "totally disfigured", he reported. Several bodies showed what he described as knife injuries.

In excess of 120 victims were fatally injured in the Tuesday operation on a criminal gang - the deadliest such raid in the city.

The eyewitness reported that he was first alerted about the operation early on Tuesday by community members of the Alemão neighbourhood, who contacted him alerting him there was a shoot-out.

The eyewitness went to the healthcare center, where the victims were coming in.

Itan explained that the police prevented journalists from entering the Penha neighborhood, where the police action were taking place.

"Police officers created a barrier and said: 'Media representatives are not allowed to pass'."

Nevertheless, the eyewitness, who was raised in the community, explained he succeeded to gain access past the security perimeter, where he remained until the next morning.

He described during the night, area inhabitants commenced searching the hillside that borders the Penha neighborhood from the neighboring Alemão community for loved ones whose whereabouts were unknown after the operation.

Residents from the Penha area arranged the discovered victims in a public space - the photographer's images show the reaction of the people there.

"The violence of it all shook me profoundly: the grief of loved ones, mothers fainting, expectant spouses, crying, angry family members," the reporter recounted.

The photographer

The governor of the state stated that the massive police operation involving around 2,500 officers was intended to halting a gang known as the criminal faction from growing their influence.

Originally, state authorities stated that "60 suspects along with four officers" lost their lives in the raid.

Officials subsequently stated that initial estimates shows that 117 alleged criminals have been killed.

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to low-income residents, 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 been able to increase its control in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

It is widely considered one of the two largest gangs in the country, in company with another major gang, with a background extending half a century.

Based on reporter a specialist, with extensive experience documenting crime in Rio for years, the gang "operates like a franchise" with area gang leaders affiliating with the group and acting as "business partners".

The gang concentrates largely on narcotics distribution, while also dealing in weapons, gold, petroleum products, liquor smoking products.

Based on official reports, organization members possess significant weaponry and officials reported that while the action was underway, they encountered resistance using drone-delivered explosives.

The state leader of Rio state, Cláudio Castro, characterized gang affiliates as drug terrorists and called the security forces killed in the raid as "heroes".

Nevertheless, the total of fatalities in the security action has received condemnation from international human rights authorities stating they were "horrified".

During a press briefing on Wednesday, the official defended the police force.

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

He further explained that the circumstances intensified because the suspects had retaliated: "It resulted of the counterattack they implemented and the overwhelming response by those criminals."

The governor also said that the victims presented by community members in the area had been "manipulated".

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

Felipe Curi representing security forces further reported that tactical gear, body armor, and arms" were stripped from the bodies and showed footage seemingly depicting a man removing tactical gear {off a corpse