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| Mexican officials say 37 killed after police ambushed in drug cartel region | Mexican officials say 37 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. | |
| Related: Mexico declares all-out war after rising drug cartel downs military helicopter | Related: 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. | Officials said that a convoy of federal police and soldiers were ambushed near the border of Michoacán and Jalisco states. |
| 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. | 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 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. | |
| Salvador Jara, the state governor of Michoacán told local media that “the likeliest thing is” that the Jalisco cartel was involved in the shootout. | |
| 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. |