Gunmen assaulted a military unit in southwest Mexico on Friday, killing at least five suspected criminals and two soldiers in a shootout, according to authorities on Saturday.
The confrontation took place on Friday afternoon in the town of El Pescado, which is located in the difficult-to-access mountainous region of Guerrero and frequently the site of clashes between criminal organizations.
According to an army report, a shootout ensued as a group of 18 armed citizens traveling in two vehicles attacked a military unit.
Five gunmen and two soldiers were killed while two people suffered gunshot wounds.
The attackers were presumably members of La Familia Michoacana, one of Mexico’s most prominent drug cartels that saw a significant decline in power with the detention of its leaders, according to local authorities.
The cartel has been regrouping while taking part in numerous violent acts.
The criminal organization Los Tequileros is allegedly competing with La Familia Michoacana for dominance of the region where they conduct kidnapping, extortion, and drug trafficking.
One of the poorest states in Mexico, Guerrero, has experienced years of unrest brought on by drug cartel fighting for the control of marijuana and opium production and drug trafficking.
More than 350,000 people have been killed across Mexico in a spiral of bloodshed since the government deployed the army to fight drug cartels in 2006, according to official figures.
