Gunmen ambush and kill Mexican mayor

[News_Editor]

Gunmen ambush and kill Mexican mayor

2011-01-11 12:34:15 GMT+7 (ICT)

MEXICO CITY (BNO NEWS) -- A Mexican mayor on Monday was attacked and killed by a group of gunmen in the central region of the country, officials said.

Abraham Ortriz Rosales, mayor of Temoac, Morelos, located south of Mexico City and around 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) east of Cuernavaca, the state's capital, was traveling on the Mexico City-Oaxaca highway when two vehicles that have not been identified surrounded Ortiz Rosales' vehicle and opened fire.

According to initial reports, the attack, which occurred at around 7:30 p.m. local time, killed the mayor's bodyguards at the scene. Ortiz Rosales, who was also accompanied by his wife and children, was critically injured after suffering from gunshot wounds. He died shortly after arriving at a private hospital.

On June 10, 2010, Ortiz Rosales had been previously attacked by suspected members of a criminal organization that traffics drugs in the region.

The incident is currently being investigated by local authorities. It also marks the first assassination of a mayor from the state of Morelos, despite several previous threats.

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