Mexican troops sent to border city after deadly cartel clash

Bullet holes are seen in the windows of a pizzeria where unknown assailants killed four employees of a radio station, including an announcer when they were outside, according to local media, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico August 12, 2022. REUTERS/ Jose Luis Gonzalez

Hundreds of Mexican soldiers were sent to the border city of Juarez Friday after a prison face-off between members of two rival cartels caused a riot and shootouts that killed 11 people, most of them civilians, authorities said.

Los Chapos, members of the infamous Sinaloa Cartel formerly led by Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, and local group Los Mexicles clashed in a prison Thursday afternoon, Deputy Security Minister Ricardo Mejia said.

A riot then broke out, leaving two shot to death and four injured with bullet wounds, Mejia said, speaking alongside Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador at a regular news conference. Another 16 were injured in the fighting, he said.

A person looks through glass doors with bullet holes at a pizzeria where unknown assailants killed four employees of a radio station, including an announcer when they were outside, according to local media, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico August 12, 2022. REUTERS/ Jose Luis Gonzalez

Officials did not say what caused the clash.

Following the riot, the Mexicles rampaged in the city, authorities said, killing nine civilians. Among them were four employees of a radio station, including one announcer, Mejia said.

Across town, convenience stores were shot at and set on fire. FEMSA, the parent company of the Oxxo chain, said in a statement that one of its employees and a woman who was applying for a job were killed in the violence.

Bullet holes are seen in the window of a pizzeria where unknown assailants killed four employees of a radio station, including an announcer when they were outside, according to local media, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico August 12, 2022. REUTERS/ Jose Luis Gonzalez

Around 1 a.m. Friday morning, six alleged members of Mexicles were arrested by local police, with help from the Army and National Guard, Mejia said.

By Friday afternoon, some 300 Army soldiers were scheduled to arrive in town, with another 300 to follow.

"(Juarez) Mayor Cruz Perez has let us know that (the city) is now in a state of calm; public order has been reestablished," Mejia said.

Security forces stand outside a convenience store that was burned by unknown attackers, in a simultaneous attack of fires in different parts of the city, according to local media, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, August 11, 2022. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez

"We hope it doesn't happen again, because innocent people were attacked," Lopez Obrador said.

Thursday's attacks follow clashes between cartels and the military in central Mexico, which led to taxis, buses and some 20 Oxxo stores being set ablaze, Lopez Obrador said.

"We should not and cannot get used to this type of event," said retail group ANTAD. "Mexico does not deserve it."

A soldier walks outside a convenience store that was burned by unknown attackers, in a simultaneous attack of fires in different parts of the city, according to local media, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, August 11, 2022. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez

(Reporting by Kylie Madry; Additional reporting by Tomas Bravo; Editing by Ros Russell and Alex Richardson)

Relatives of a woman who died in a fire at a convenience store that was burned by unknown attackers, in a simultaneous attack of fires in different parts of the city, according to local media, react outside the store in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, August 11, 2022. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez