Mexican security forces kill 11 gunmen in shootout

Mexican security forces on Wednesday killed 11 gunmen after a chase and shootout in the country's northeast, authorities said, the latest in a spate of cartel-related clashes.

An armed suspect was arrested and weapons and vehicles were seized, the Nuevo Leon state government said in a statement.

A manhunt by air and ground was launched after a command post was attacked, it said, without reporting any casualties among security forces.

Later, security personnel pursued gunmen traveling in a convoy of around eight pick-up trucks, leading to a gun battle in the municipality of Los Ramones, according to the statement.

"The result was 11 criminals killed," it said.

The detained suspect had been seen on a highway wearing camouflage clothing and carrying a weapon and tactical equipment, it added.

Clashes between security forces and suspected cartel members are common in Mexico.

Spiraling criminal violence, much of it linked to drug trafficking and gangs, has seen more than 450,000 people murdered in the Latin American nation since 2006.

In the northwestern state of Sinaloa, home to one of the country's most powerful and violent drug gangs, cartel infighting has left dozens of people dead this month.

The violence follows the surprise arrest on US soil of Sinaloa Cartel co-founder Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada in late July, which is believed to have unleashed an internal power struggle.

Outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who will leave office next week, has championed a "hugs not bullets" strategy to tackle violent crime at its roots by combating poverty and inequality with social programs.

Source: AFP