[1/5]Forensic scientists work at a crime scene where several local police officers were shot and killed in Coyuca de Benitez, Mexico, October 23, 2023.Reuters/Javier Berdin Obtaining license rights
MEXICO CITY, Oct 23 (Reuters) – Assailants shot dead at least 13 local police officers on Monday in Mexico’s southern state of Guerrero, a state government official told Reuters. It was the latest brazen attack in an area where gangs are fighting over drug control. transaction.
The local security chief for the town of Coyuca de Benitez was among the dead, the sources said on condition of anonymity.
The town is located west of the popular beach resort of Acapulco.
State officials said in a statement late Monday that security would be increased in the area, including Navy and National Guard personnel, but did not say how many officers were killed.
The Coyuca de Benitez area is known for its organized crime.
Prior to the ambush, agents were dispatched to respond to reports of a suspected firearm being detonated in the area, officials said.
Guerrero state has seen a surge in violence over the past decade as a growing number of criminal organizations compete for control of the lucrative opium poppy trade and other smuggling routes.
Nearly 1,100 people were killed in the state in the first nine months of this year, an increase of nearly a quarter from a year earlier, according to official data.
Report by Lizbeth Diaz. Written by Isabel Woodford.Editing: David Alire Garcia, Sonali Paul
Our standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
