On Tuesday, at least 15 people were killed during a shooting in the state of Guerrero . This is the second mass killing in less than a week.
Reports suggest there was a shooting between security forces and armed civilians.
Later, Roberto Álvarez , the local public security spokesman said that at least 14 civilians and one soldier had died during the shooting in the municipality of Tepochica , near Iguala , a small city that was convulsed after the disappearances of 43 students in 2014 .
According to Roberto Álvarez , a call to 911 alerted authorities about the presence of armed men in Tepochica and as a result, security forces were deployed to the location. The armed civilians then attacked the military officers.
During his morning news conference, President López Obrador defended his security strategy after news broke that an alleged cartel massacred 13 police officers on Monday, in the neighboring state of Michoacán .
Furthermore, photos from the crime scene in Michoacán started to circulate on social media, which showed bullet-riddled police vehicles set on fire, as well as the bodies of dead police officers.
Previously, López Obrador said the ambush in Michoacán was “regrettable” but insisted that his commitment to fighting the causes behind violence and crime would eventually pay off.
“I’m optimistic we’ll secure peace (...) we’re completely dedicated to this issue, but (past governments) allowed it to grow,” said López Obrador , who often criticizes past governments for launching a war against drug cartels .
In the last decade, Guerrero and Michoacán have become two of Mexico’s most violent states , where cartels fight to control smuggling routes to Mexico and the Pacific .
The city of Iguala gained attention after 43 trainee teachers were allegedly abducted by a cartel in the city in 2014 .
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