Drug Traffickers killed in Mexico

MEXICO: A gunfight between suspected drug traffickers and Mexico army troops left seven of the alleged criminals dead, officials in the western state of Michoacan said Tuesday. The gunbattle erupted around daybreak in the town of Tacambaro as troops patrolled the town and encountered the drug traffickers, officials said.

"Seven gunmen were killed and the rest fled for the hills," a law enforcement source told AFP.

Michoacan, home state to President Felipe Calderon, is one of the regions gripped by drug-related violence that has killed some 41,000 people since he launched a military crackdown on organized drug crime five years ago. AFP