15 killed in Mexico armed clashes

By Bimbo Ogunnaike with agency report

No fewer than 15 people were killed during a gunfight between the Mexican military and armed men in the southern state of Guerrero.

The shootout occurred around 5 p.m. (2200 GMT) after local police received an emergency call which reported the presence of a group of armed men in the community of Tepochica in the municipality of Iguala,

Security spokesperson for Guerrero state,Roberto Alvarez Heredia, who confirmed the development through a statement he issued on Tuesday said the armed men started the attack first when noticing a joint patrol team of police and military officers coming to the area and then a conflict broke out.

Heredia said the gun battle resulted in the deaths of one soldier and 14 armed men, adding that  high-power weapons and three vehicles were recovered at the scene after the shooting.

The incident took place just one day after armed assailants killed at least 13 police officers in an ambush in Aguililla, a town in west-central Michoacan state.

Guerrero is one of the states in Mexico with high rates of violence and drug trafficking activities, and more than 20 armed groups operate in the state, including community police, self-defense groups and drug cartels, according to Mexican government reports.