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| Mexico jail 'gang fight' kills 23 | Mexico jail 'gang fight' kills 23 |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| At least 23 inmates have been killed after a fight at a jail in Durango, northern Mexico, say officials. | |
| Police believe the inmates were members of rival drugs gangs, said the Reuters news agency. | Police believe the inmates were members of rival drugs gangs, said the Reuters news agency. |
| But prison spokeswoman Carla Puente was quoted by the Associated Press as saying she did not know the cause of the fighting. | But prison spokeswoman Carla Puente was quoted by the Associated Press as saying she did not know the cause of the fighting. |
| Thousands of people have been killed in drug-related violence in Mexico over the past few years. | Thousands of people have been killed in drug-related violence in Mexico over the past few years. |
| "There are 23 dead, all inmates," Durango army head General Moises Melo Garcia told Reuters. | "There are 23 dead, all inmates," Durango army head General Moises Melo Garcia told Reuters. |
| Ms Puente said some people had also been injured in the brawl, which she said was ended by prison guards. | Ms Puente said some people had also been injured in the brawl, which she said was ended by prison guards. |
| The prison was reported to house more than 2,000 inmates. | |
| War declared | |
| The state of Durango has been the scene of clashes between the rival Gulf and Sinaloa drug cartels in recent months. | |
| The drugs trade in the region is controlled by the Sinaloa cartel, reportedly led by Mexico's most-wanted man, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. | |
| At least 19 inmates died in another prison brawl in the city of Durango in August 2009, which officials said had been sparked by gang rivalries. | |
| President Felipe Calderon has declared war on the illegal narcotic organisations in Mexico, deploying 40,000 troops to fight the cartels. |