More than a dozen dead in armed attacks in southwest Mexico

• A wave of armed attacks in Mexico.
• Police and civilians have been murdered.
• The government needs to address security.

A wave of armed attacks in Mexico has left a trail of blood in the states of Guerrero and Michoacán.

Thirteen police officers were murdered in Guerrero and five people were killed in an armed attack in Michoacán.

There seems to be no end to the violence in a nation struggling with rising crime.

The tragic incident in Guerrero took place on Monday, October 23, in the town of El Papayo, in the municipality of Coyuca de Benítez.

Wave of violence in Mexico

In Coyuca de Benítez an armed group apparently ambushed several municipal police officers.

Initially, a total of eleven deaths had been reported after the attack in Guerrero, however this was later updated by authorities.

Hours later, Carlos Monje, director of Information and Communication of the state Attorney General’s Office, confirmed that the number of uniformed officers killed had risen to thirteen.

Among the victims is the Secretary of Security of the town of Coyuca de Benítez. No further details were provided.

Police officers murdered in Mexico

This tragic incident in Guerrero adds to a growing list of police murders in Mexico.

According to the local civil organization Causa Común, 341 police officers have been killed in the country so far this year.

In 2022, the figure was even more alarming, with at least 403 cases of police officers being murdered, according to The Associated Press.

This violent episode occurred at the same time as a the shooting murder of academic and community leader, Rigoberto Acosta González, in Chilpancingo — the capital of Guerrero.

Another terrible incident in Michoacán

The situation was no better in Michoacán, where five people, including a police officer, were killed on the same day in an armed attack.

This incident took place in the municipality of Tacámbaro, where an armed group attacked a brother of the local mayor in the middle of the road.

The shooting resulted in the deaths of four civilians and a municipal police officer, while two more people were injured, The Associated Press reported.

Despite the efforts of the federal government, which sent more than 2,000 soldiers and national guards to strengthen security, violence has not decreased, according to residents.

Michoacán is disputed territory

Michoacán is known for being a territory that is disputed by several criminal groups that run rampant in the streets.

Among them are the powerful Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel, the Familia Michoacana, Los Viagras and Los Caballeros Templarios.

According to The Associated Press, this state is among the six that account for half of the homicides in the country.

According to the records of the Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection, the others are Guanajuato, Baja California, the State of Mexico, Jalisco and Chihuahua.

Rising crime rates in Mexico

These recent episodes of violence in Mexico underline the urgent need to address the problem of safety in the country.

They also highlight the importance of finding effective solutions to combat the growing criminal activity that affects communities throughout Mexico.

The families of the victims, both in the state of Guerrero and in Michoacán, as well as society as a whole, are waiting for answers.

They also want concrete measures that will help restore peace and security in these regions affected by violence by criminal organizations in the country.