MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) — A shootout among Mexican paramilitary troops in the southern state of Guerrero killed 13 people overnight as the country prepared to vote in midterm elections, local authorities said early Sunday.
Fierce fighting flared up between two paramilitary groups in the town of Xolapa on the outskirts of the resort city Acapulco, according to officials as cited by the Proceso news website.
Police were alerted to the shootout but they were hours late due to being currently understaffed. Many officers have been redeployed to ensure security elsewhere as the country has been rocked by violent protests in the run-up to Sunday’s general elections.
Mexican paramilitary forces, called "autodefensas," are formed from volunteers to protect citizens against violent drug cartels.
