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Mexico drug war deaths over five years now total 47,515 | |
(about 17 hours later) | |
Mexican officials say nearly 13,000 people were killed in violence blamed on organised crime between January and September last year. | |
This means there have been 47,515 drug-related killings since President Felipe Calderon launched his crackdown on drug traffickers in late 2006. | |
Officials said the 11% rise in murders was far slower than in previous years. | |
But with presidential elections in July, violence is set to be a key issue for voters, correspondents say. | |
On Wednesday, Mexico's Federal Attorney General's office (PGR) released figures showing that 12,903 people had been killed in drug-related violence during the first nine months of 2011. | |
It was the first time official statistics had been released since January 2011 and came in response to a series of freedom of information requests over several months. | |
The PGR said that the 11% rise was "a significant decrease" on previous years. | |
In 2009-2010, murders jumped 70%; 2008-2009 saw a 63% rise and there was a 110% jump in 2007-2008. | |
But with the 2011 figures running just until September, the overall number of murders could be some 16,000. | |
The PGR said that the violence was concentrated in a quarter of Mexico's states. | |
Cartel control | |
There have been improvements in security in some areas, including the border city of Tijuana. | |
Ciudad Juarez, also on the US-Mexico, continues to be among the most violent municipalities, with 1,206 murders, although this was a sharp drop on the estimated 2,500 killings the year before. | |
However, experts say the decline in killings may be the result of one cartel exerting overall control rather than specific success by the military or police. | |
Last year also saw drug violence spread to previously calm areas, including the eastern port city of Veracruz. | |
The capital, Mexico City, had also been relatively untouched. | |
But on Wednesday, two decapitated bodies were found inside a burning vehicle outside an upmarket shopping centre in the Santa Fe district of Mexico City. | |
Two heads were found in front of the car. | |
The government stresses that Mexico's murder rate is still lower than several nations, including Honduras, Guatemala, Brazil and Venezuela. |