MEXICO CITY - The bloodiest gunfight in Mexico's 5-month-old offensive against drug gangs killed 22 people, including five policemen, officials said today.
Shooting broke out yesterday in Sonora state, just south of Arizona, when state police backed by helicopters and soldiers swooped on a ranch where up to50 heavily armed drug hitmen were holding abducted police officers and civilians, the state government said in a statement.
The police and army killed said they killed 15 members of the drug gang in the five-hour clash. The rest fled into the wilderness surrounding the huge Cananea copper mine, where they were being hunted by hundreds of police.
Five police officers died in the shooting and the cartel hitmen also killed two civilians, the statement said. The kidnappers had arrived at the ranch the night before with 13 prisoners.
The state government said there may be more hostages.
President Felipe Calderon has been unable to contain rampant violence despite sending thousands of troops to fight drug gangs in mostly northern and western Mexican states after taking office in December.
More than 900 people have been killed in drug violence in Mexico this year, most of them in turf battles between the Gulf Cartel from northeastern Mexico and an alliance of traffickers headed by kingpin Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman.
The chief of police of the western town of Apatzingan, resigned today after he was injured in an armed attack while off duty this week, El Universal newspaper said.
