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Mexican officials say 37 killed after police ambushed in drug cartel region Mexican officials: 40 killed after police ambushed in drug cartel region
(about 1 hour later)
Dozens of people are reported to have been killed in a fierce gun battle after federal forces came under attack in a region of western Mexico dominated by drug cartels. About 40 people were killed in large-scale firefight on Friday between law enforcement and criminal suspects in western Mexico, a Mexican official said.
Related: Mexico declares all-out war after rising drug cartel downs military helicopterRelated: Mexico declares all-out war after rising drug cartel downs military helicopter
Officials said that a convoy of federal police and soldiers were ambushed near the border of Michoacán and Jalisco states. Almost all the dead were suspected criminals, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.
Two government sources told the Reuters news agency that 37 armed civilians – presumably cartel gunmen – were killed in the confrontation. At least two police officers were also reported to have died. The gunbattle happened in an area between Michoacán and Jalisco states that is known as a stronghold of the Jalisco New Generation drug cartel, which has mounted several large-scale attacks on federal and state forces in recent weeks. A federal police official said the country’s top security officials were en route to assess what happened.
The identity of the gunmen was not known, but the area between Michoacán and Jalisco is known as a stronghold of the Jalisco New Generation cartel, which has mounted several large-scale attacks on federal and state forces in recent weeks. While there was no immediate confirmation on the identity of the suspects, Michoacán governor Salvador Jara told local media “the likeliest thing is” the Jalisco cartel was involved in the shootout.
Salvador Jara, the state governor of Michoacán told local media that “the likeliest thing is” that the Jalisco cartel was involved in the shootout. The area on the Michoacán-Jalisco border has been the scene of bloody shooting and grisly discoveries for several years.
The scene of the shootout is close to the community of La Barca, Jalisco, where authorities in 2013 found more than five dozen bodies in mass graves linked to the Jalisco cartel.
The Jalisco gang has been involved in the deadliest attacks against law enforcement in recent memory in the last few months.
Earlier this month six soldiers were killed when New Generation gunmen used a rocket-propelled grenade to bring down an army helicopter in the state. That came weeks after 15 police officers were killed in an ambush, the deadliest single attack on Mexico’s security forces in recent memory.Earlier this month six soldiers were killed when New Generation gunmen used a rocket-propelled grenade to bring down an army helicopter in the state. That came weeks after 15 police officers were killed in an ambush, the deadliest single attack on Mexico’s security forces in recent memory.