Mexico: 30 civilians killed in wave of violence in Sinaloa

Mexico City, Sep 18 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) At least 30 civilians have been killed since a wave of violence hit northwest Mexico’s Sinaloa state, Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval said. During President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s usual daily press conference on Tuesday, Sandoval said the federal government was reinforcing security in the area to clamp down on the violence, which has also claimed the lives of two soldiers. Authorities have arrested at least 30 suspects belonging to criminal organisations and seized 115 firearms since the violence started in the state on September 9, reports Xinhua news agency, quoting Sandoval. The recent spate of violence erupted following clashes between rival drug-trafficking groups, including one headed by Ismael ‘Mayo’ Zambada and another led by ‘Los Chapitos’, sons of jailed Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman. Zambada, a longtime associate of ‘El Chapo’, was arrested on July 25 in the United States, sparking clashes between the two main factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, according to authorities. Mexico’s President said that his administration, which concludes this month, was working to quell the fighting and protect area residents. “We are attentive to what is happening in Sinaloa,” the President told reporters at the National Palace in Mexico City. —