Mexico: 12 dead in clash between police, armed civilians in Jalisco state

Mexico: At least 12 people were killed in a confrontation between police and armed civilians in the town of El Salto, in west Mexico`s Jalisco state, state governor Enrique Alfaro confirmed Thursday. Four police officers were among the fatal victims, Alfaro said via Twitter. "El Salto police and state police shot down eight criminals yesterday and left three seriously injured, after responding to a report of a safe house where there were hidden weapons," Alfaro said. "Unfortunately, 4 police officers from the town of El Salto were killed in the line of duty," the governor added.

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In March, the Ministry of National Defense (Sedena) deployed a group of soldiers to violence-ridden Jalisco as part of the Mexico Joint Task Force program to strengthen surveillance of criminal activity in the state in the wake of a wave of killings.

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel emerged in 2010 as a cell of the Sinaloa Cartel and now has a presence in at least seven Mexican states, as well as Mexico City.

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