At least 4 killed in Mexico shootout

At least four people were killed on Tuesday after gunmen opened fire at government offices in Cancun, in southeastern Mexico, according to media reports.

Armed gang members targeted the city's security facilities, including the Control, Command, Computing and Communications Center (C4) and the office of the attorney-general, along the Xcaret Avenue.

Police then responded. One policeman and three suspected gunmen were killed and five suspects arrested, state governor Carlos Joaquin said on Mexican television Tuesday evening.

In a statement, Adriana Mezquita, the communications director of the local government, said a group of about ten people fled on motorcycles after firing at the buildings, according to news website Milenio.

As gunfire erupted between the attackers and the authorities, shots could be heard alongside Coba Avenue and Nichupte Avenue, with three people reportedly injured near the Gran Plaza shopping center.

The local government has closed Cancun's famous hotel strip, one of Mexico's main tourism destinations, and the city's road exit toward Playa del Carmen to the south.

Writing on Twitter, Cancun mayor Remberto Estrada said: "The attack on the state attorney-general's office is unacceptable."

The mayor also called for calm among the citizens, adding that authorities "have applied strict protocols to control the situation and catch those responsible."

This attack comes a day after five people were killed in a shootout in Playa del Carmen.

source: Xinhua