Firefight between warring cartels leaves 16 dead in southern Mexico

PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo — Mexican Army and National Guard members are seen in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico February 17, 2024. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A shootout between two battling criminal groups in Mexico's southern Pacific state of Guerrero on Thursday left 16 people dead, authorities said, as the country has been hit by a wave of recent violence.

Around 5 a.m. on Thursday morning, warring cartels were facing off in the state's rural, mountainous region, which has become a battleground in past years as groups work to expand their territory.

Local police were caught up in the attack and two officers were killed and four injured, Mexico's defense ministry said in a statement. The wounded are now stable after receiving medical attention.

A nearby National Guard base also responded to the attack, and three military officers were wounded, the ministry said.

The remaining dead, 14, were presumed members of criminal groups and 11 people were arrested.



(Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz; Editing by Kylie Madry and Michael Perry)