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Mexico: 19 gang members killed in overnight clashes
[Al Jazeera] At least 19 people have been killed in festivities involving gunnies and security forces in the gang-plagued northwestern Mexican state of Sinaloa, authorities said.Sinaloa has seen a dramatic spike of homicides following the capture and extradition of convicted drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. The violence began with a shooting on Friday that killed two men near a department store in the town of Villa Union, about 24km southeast of the beach resort of Mazatlan. Mexico: Outrage grows over record murder rate Officials attributed it to warring narco gang members responsible for recent violence in the state, which is home to Guzman's Sinaloa cartel. "We believe it has to do with the transport of drugs and the fight for terrain, for the areas that these groups are fighting over," Genaro Robles Casillas, the Sinaloa state public security secretary, said at a news conference. Police were alerted by emergency calls, and municipal officers encountered the suspected attackers as they were riding in several pickup trucks. A fierce gunbattle broke out in which police potted 17 suspects, officials said. Five municipal coppers were maimed, but reported in stable, pH balanced condition. At the scene of the clash, four vehicles, 15 rifles and seven handguns were found. Posted by: Fred 2017-07-02 |
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