At least 22 people, including a dozen police officers, were killed in a series of separate armed attacks in Mexico on Monday, raising concerns over escalating violence in regions affected by drug trafficking.
The deadliest incident occurred when unidentified attackers targeted a security patrol in Guerrero state’s municipality of Coyuca de Benitez.
At least 13 people were killed in that attack, with 11 of them being members of the municipal police force. Security forces were seen patrolling the area, and a police helicopter flew overhead.
Another attack in the state of Michoacan left four civilians and a policeman dead, as a group of gunmen targeted the mayor’s brother in the town of Tacambaro.
In a video posted on social media, gunmen were seen opening fire before fleeing in several vehicles.
A third attack, a gunfight between alleged drug dealers, occurred in the central Mexican state of Puebla, leaving at least six dead and two wounded.
Mexico has experienced widespread cartel-related violence, resulting in over 420,000 people murdered since the government’s war on drugs began in 2006. Guerrero and Michoacan are known for their high levels of violence due to clashes between rival drug traffickers and security forces.
Although violence often escalates in the run-up to elections, the recent wave of violence has been particularly shocking.
Guerrero, in particular, has seen an extraordinary level of pre-electoral violence.
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has advocated a strategy focused on addressing the root causes of violent crime through social programs, rather than a military-based approach.
