Top police officer, four gunmen killed in Mexico clash

A senior Mexican police officer and four gunmen were killed in the latest gang-related clash in the troubled northeastern state of Tamaulipas, authorities said today.
Three marines and a military police officer were wounded in the skirmish late yesterday in Ciudad Victoria, the capital of Tamaulipas, while five suspects were detained, officials said.
Salvador de Haro Munoz, the state police's director of investigations, was killed shortly after taking his post.
The clash took place when an investigation into a criminal group led federal and state security forces to a house in Ciudad Victoria.
"The armed civilians, after seeing the presence of security forces and to avoid being detained, opened fire with large weapons and automatic handguns, starting a clash," the Tamaulipas security coordination group said in a statement.

The statement did not identify the gang but Tamaulipas is home to the Gulf and Zetas drug cartels.

Tamaulipas has endured a surge of violence in recent weeks that officials have linked to an internal feud within the Gulf cartel following the arrests of top capos.
Yesterday, five suspects were killed in clashes between criminal groups and security forces in the border cities of Reynosa and Matamoros.
Last week, 14 people were killed in a day of violence between suspected criminals and security forces in Reynosa.
Another three people were killed on Friday in a clash between criminal groups in the border town of Miguel Aleman.

Last month, 24 people were killed in two days of gunfights in the state.
The Gulf and Zetas cartels, once allies, have also engaged in ruthless turf wars in recent years, fighting for control of lucrative drug trafficking routes to the United States.