Published 21:18 IST, November 9th 2019
5 police officers killed, 2 injured in ambush in Mexican highland
At least five police officers were killed and two were injured after they were trapped in a small community situated in the highlands of the state of Oaxaca.
At least five police officers were killed and two injured after they were trapped in a small community situated in the highlands of the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico, according to the reports by the local authorities. The policemen were attacked late on the afternoon of November 8, according to the Secretary of State Security. They patrolled La Cementera de San Vicente Coatlan, a small community of 4000 inhabitants which is situated 80 km away from the state capital.
Governor condemns the incident
The ministry confirmed that five officers were killed and two were injured. The two injured men were immediately taken to the hospital in Oaxaca. Oaxaca Governor Alejandro Murat condemned the incident on Twitter and criticized the aggression against State Police in San Vicente Coatlan and sympathized with their family members and relatives. The violence in Oaxaca is an organized crime that has grown in recent years. Last August, the mayor of San Jose Estancia Grande and a state official lost their lives in an armed attack.
Army dispatched to fight drug trafficking in 2006
The army was dispatched to fight drug trafficking in 2006, but experts blame the so-called drug war for the sparking violence between fragmented cartels and the military, which has lead to more than 250,000 murders. The police were carrying out a court order in El Aguaje, Michoacán state when their convoy was ambushed. The Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel, a powerful criminal group is believed to have carried out the attack. El Aguaje is considered to be of strategic importance between two battling cartels: the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG) and a splinter group of the Knights Templar called Los Viagras. The supposed leader of the CJNG was killed by Michoacán police less than a week ago. In Michoacán in August, nine people were found hanging from a bridge with seven other dead bodies found on the road.
Updated 22:19 IST, November 9th 2019