Three men and two women were killed today in a shootout with soldiers at a Mexican motel amid a suspected turf war among drug gangs, the Mexican army said.
The incident happened in the Nuevo Leon city of Santa Catarina.
The army said that one of those killed was a gunmen who participated in the November 5th killing of an army general who had been appointed police chief of the town of Garcia, and also in last week’s attack against Rene Castillo, an army major and Santa Catarina’s security chief.
Tamaulipas and neighbouring Nuevo Leon state have seen a surge of violence in recent weeks that authorities blame on a battle between the Gulf cartel and the Zetas.
Drug-related violence in Mexico has claimed 17,900 lives since President Felipe Calderon declared war on the drug gangs in December 2006.
Powerful drug cartels have been battling not only authorities but each other for territory and drug routes.