Gunmen Kill at Least 10 People in Puebla Town Attack

Mexican authorities on Sunday said at least 10 people were killed in an attack by gunmen in the town of Tehuitzingo in the east-central state of Puebla. The victims were six men, three women and a child, and all were shot in the early hours of Sunday, Puebla's public security agency said in a statement.

Nine people died at the scene from gunshot wounds and one woman died while being transported to the hospital, prosecutors said. Of the 10 victims, six were members of a single family, and the other four were workers, said Puebla state prosecutor Idamis Pastor.

The motive for the crime was still unclear.

Federal officials are investigating the case.

Soldiers, members of the National Guard and police officers were deployed to the scene, and the security agency said operational actions will continue to preserve order and social peace in the state. Local authorities did not say whether there were any suspects in the killings.

Days later, three people died in Puebla's capital after an attack on their vehicle. Central Mexico has recently recorded a surge in cartel violence, which has forced between 800 and 1,000 families to flee their homes. Puebla has seen gruesome violence in recent years. Last August, authorities found six severed heads along a road that links the states of Puebla and Tlaxcala.