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16 killed in Mexican prison shootout
At least 16 people were killed in northern Mexico when a shootout occurred in a prison, said authorities on Tuesday.
At least 16 people were killed in northern Mexico when a shootout occurred in a prison, said authorities on Tuesday.
Earlier, reports stated 17 people had been killed during the uprising witnessed on late Monday in Ciudad Juarez, a border city, considered to be the most violent in Mexico.
Armed inmates exchanged gunfire with soldiers, following which police were sent to quell the uprising, Xinhua quoted city spokesman Manuel del Castillo as saying.
It all happened when some inmates entered a part of the prison holding detainees awaiting trial and opened fire. Most of the victims had not yet been convicted of any crimes, Castillo said.
The inmate population in Ciudad Juarez and other Mexican prisons has soared over the past five years due to arrests of a large number of suspects in Mexico's ongoing battle with drug cartels and organised crime.
