MEXICO CITY, Mexico: Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Wednesday that 10 suspected criminals were killed in two separate armed clashes in southern Mexico, one of which involved the National Guard.
The state of Chiapas, where the shooting took place, attracts tourists with its lush forests, indigenous communities and ancient Mayan ruins.
But the region, which borders Guatemala, has been shaken by turf wars between rival gangs who compete for control of drug and people-trafficking routes.
Obrador denied reports by local human rights group Fray Bartolome de Las Casas HRC that 25 people, including civilians, had been killed in clashes between the National Guard and gunmen.
He told a daily news conference that five suspected criminals were killed in armed clashes between gangs last weekend, and another five were killed in clashes with the National Guard.
Obrador added that the weapon was seized and 13 suspects, including a Guatemalan national, were detained.
Armed conflicts between criminal organizations and security forces are common in Mexico, where nearly 450,000 murders have been recorded since a controversial anti-drug campaign began in the country in 2006.
