Mexico: At least ten killed in Mormon family attack

According to relatives, at least ten people were killed in a raid on a Mormon family in northern Mexico. Three women and seven children were killed when unknown people in the region between the states of Sonora and Chihuahua opened the fire on a vehicle convoy, said a member of the family on TV channel Milenio TV.

So far, the prosecutor of Sonora has not commented on the exact number of victims. But it initiated a large-scale deployment of security forces in the area.

"As a mother, I feel anger, indignation, and deep pain in the face of the cowardly deed," wrote Sonora Governor Claudia Pavlovich on Twitter. "I do not know what kind of monsters dare to hurt women and children, and as governor, I will do everything to ensure that this does not go unpunished and that the perpetrators are held accountable."

Como madre siento coraje, repudio y un profundo dolor por los cobardes hechos en la sierra entre Sonora y Chihuahua. No sé qué clase de monstruos se atreven a lastimar a mujeres y niños. Como Gobernadora toda mi colaboración para que no quede impune y paguen los responsables.

In the north of Mexico, numerous extended families of Mormon beliefs, originally from the United States, have been living for decades. The affected community consists of descendants who escaped persecution in the 19th century. Often they are nationals of both countries.

Time and again, they are being targeted by powerful crime syndicates controlling the region. Almost 36,000 murders were registered in Mexico last year.