14 killed in shooting attacks in Mexican border city

At least 14 people were killed today in three shooting incidents in the northern Mexican city of Juarez, notorious for its drug gang related violence.

One of the attacks occurred in the southern part of the city, where eight men who were gathered watching the World Cup football match between Mexico and South Korea, were shot at by armed gunmen who killed six and injured two, according to security officials.

Almost simultaneously, in a downtown neighbourhood, five other men gathered at a hairdressing salon to watch football were killed by a group who arrived at the scene in a blue van, according to witnesses.

Hours earlier, during the early hours of the morning, three other people were taken from a party in a neighbourhood on the outskirts of the city and executed by gunmen.

The killings bring to 128 the number of people killed in the city this month alone.

More than 200,000 people have been killed in Mexico since the government launched a controversial anti-drug offensive in late 2006, according to official figures that do not specify how many of these victims are related to organized crime.