At least three soldiers from the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena) were killed this Thursday in an ambush in the municipality of Tepalcatepec, in the State of Michoacán, as confirmed by the Mexican Army to EL PAÍS.
The local press has reported the death of a fourth soldier, information that has not yet been confirmed by the Sedena, which does recognize that there are "about six or seven" wounded with "various injuries" who have already been transferred to hospitals in the zone.
“There are some who are still being reviewed and some who have unfavorable diagnoses,” said a military spokesperson, so the number of fatalities may still rise.
The soldiers were ambushed while carrying out “reconnaissance” work between the towns of El Montoso and El Terrenatillo, a mountainous and rural area.
According to the local press, in information not confirmed by Sedena, the military convoy passed over a mined road.
After the ground explosives exploded, taking advantage of the confusion, a group of armed men opened fire on them and bombed them using drones loaded with homemade explosives.
The soldiers were stationed in the 43rd Military Zone, a Mexican Army base under the responsibility of Brigadier General Óscar Rentería Schazarino, according to Sedena itself.
The military barracks is located in the municipality of Apatzingán, less than 70 kilometers from Tepalcatepec, the scene of the ambush.
In the area, there is allegedly a dispute between the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel and a local group called El Abuelo, allied with the Knights Templar.
The reconnaissance mission, according to Sedena, is a common Army protocol in the region, which responds to the logic of “being present to prevent criminal activities, [the military] routinely have a presence in the area.”
The convoy consisted of between 20 and 30 soldiers.
[News in development]
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