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Mexico gang shootout in Nayarit state kills 28 | Mexico gang shootout in Nayarit state kills 28 |
(40 minutes later) | |
A shootout between rival Mexican gangs has left at least 28 people dead, officials say. | A shootout between rival Mexican gangs has left at least 28 people dead, officials say. |
The gunfight took place at a crossroads near Ruiz in the Pacific coast state of Nayarit, some 800km (500 miles) north-west of Mexico City. | |
Police found 28 men dead and four wounded when they reached the scene, which was littered with bullet shells. | |
In Michoacan state, drug gang violence has forced more than 1,000 people to flee their villages, officials say. | |
More than 34,000 people have died in Mexico since President Felipe Calderon launched a crackdown on the country's drug cartels in December 2006. | More than 34,000 people have died in Mexico since President Felipe Calderon launched a crackdown on the country's drug cartels in December 2006. |
Nayarit state has a strong presence of one of Mexico's most powerful drug gangs, the Sinaloa cartel, which is run by the country's most wanted man, Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman. | Nayarit state has a strong presence of one of Mexico's most powerful drug gangs, the Sinaloa cartel, which is run by the country's most wanted man, Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman. |
Security forces in Nayarit had initially been investigating a reported kidnapping when they were alerted to the shooting nearby. | |
When they reached the scene, they found 28 bodies, and four people injured. | |
Ten vehicles had been abandoned at the site, the state attorney general's office said. | |
It was not clear what had provoked the shooting but the Sinaloa gang has been battling two other cartels in the area, Los Zetas and La Familia. | |
In Michoacan, officials said 48 hours of gun battles between suspected drug gangs had forced more than 1,000 people to flee villages in the Tierra Caliente region of the state. | |
The families had taken shelter in churches, halls and schools in the town of Buenavista Tomatlan. | |
Residents told local media that the fighting between the drug factions meant it was too dangerous to stay in outlying areas. | |
Officials say the fighting has now stopped and troops and police officers are patrolling the area. |