Two Mexican soldiers and five cartel gunmen were killed Friday when a military unit was ambushed in southwest Mexico.
A Mexican military unit “was the target of an attack by approximately 18 armed civilians aboard two vehicles” on Friday, the Mexican military said in a statement, according to a CBS report Monday.
The shootout erupted in the town of El Pescado, which is located in a mountainous area of the state of Guerrero and has often been the site of clashes between Mexican authorities and cartel members.
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Local authorities believe the attack was likely carried out by members of La Familia Michoacana, a once powerful cartel which has been attempting to regain its influence after the arrest of its leaders.
In addition to the seven people killed, two others suffered gunshot wounds.
Guerrero is one of Mexico’s poorest states, and its residents have endured years of clashes between rival cartel groups and Mexican authorities for control over the region, which has been known for drug trafficking and kidnappings.
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La Familia Michoacana has been battling with the Los Tequileros criminal group, an offshoot of the Jalisco Nueva Generacion drug cartel for control of the area, according to officials.
However, the battle between cartels and Mexican authorities has touched every part of the country, including an incident near the U.S. border with Texas earlier this month that saw four Americans kidnaped and two killed by drug cartels in what authorities described as a case of mistaken identity.
Overall, more thant 350,000 people have been killed in Mexico since the government launched military operations against the cartels in 2006.
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