Mexico army kills 27 members of drug cartel in shoot out near U.S. border
Last updated at 12:58 PM on 3rd September 201
Soldiers killed 27 suspected cartel members in a raid and gun battle near the U.S. border that has seen a surge in drug gang violence.
A reconnaissance flight over Ciudad Mier in Tamaulipas state spotted several gunmen in front of a property, according to Mexico's Defence Department.
When troops on the ground moved in, gunmen opened fire, starting a battle that killed 27 suspected cartel members, the military said.
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| Aftermath: Soldiers stand next to weapons seized at a warehouse in Tamaulipas, Mexico, after a gunfight with drug gang members which left 25 dead |
The statement said two soldiers were injured but none was killed.
Earlier, a military spokesman had said the shootout happened when troops on patrol in neighbouring Nuevo Leon state came under fire from a ranch allegedly controlled by the Zetas drug gang.
The spokesman said the troops returned fire at a ranch, known as 'The Stump'.
A defence department statement later said the shootout took place in Tamaulipas.
Authorities rescued three people believed to be kidnap victims in the raid, according to the statement.
The military said troops seized 25 rifles, four grenades, 4,200 rounds of ammunition and 23 vehicles.
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| Investigation: Detectives retrieve evidence from the scene in the wake of the shooting |
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| Raid: The military said 25 rifles, four grenades, 4,200 rounds of ammunition and 23 vehicles had been seized |
Violence has surged in north-eastern Mexico this year since the Zetas broke ranks with their former employer, the Gulf cartel, making Tamaulipas one of the country's most dangerous battlegrounds.
In June, gunmen ambushed and killed the leading candidate for state governor a week before the elections. And in May a mayoral candidate in Tamaulipas was assassinated.
In August, Mexican marines discovered the bodies of 72 Central and South American migrants believed to have been gunned down by the Zetas after refusing to smuggle drugs, in what may be the deadliest cartel massacre to date.
The dead migrants were discovered at a ranch about 100 miles from the US border in Tamaulipas.
The Zetas began as a gang of drug assassins but have since evolved into a powerful cartel.
Drug violence has claimed more than 28,000 lives since President Felipe Calderon intensified a crackdown on cartels after taking office in late 2006.
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| Bloody scene: The body of one of the cartel members lies by the road after the shootout. His hands are cuffed. |
