Mexican army clashes with armed civilians

MEXICO The Mexican army, which started an operation to push back drug cartels and take control of cities in the Michoacan state, has clashed with armed civilians. Self-organized groups of civilians, which began to arm themselves a year ago and occupy cities controlled by drug clans, are increasingly numerous, and the federal government recently responded by asking them to disarm. Mexican army clashes with armed civilians The decision on the military offensive was made on Monday when armed villagers took another city and surrounded Apatzingan. About 200 federal police and soldiers stormed in and disarmed the local police in the town know as the stronghold of the drug carterl Knights Templar, AFP reported. Previously there was a conflict between federal forces and civilian militias, when four people, including a child, were killed, a militia announced. Most civilian militias do not want to lay down arms until drug cartel leaders have been arrested. They have seized nearly 20 cities in Michoacan, despite warnings that their expansion would not be tolerated by the federal government. Analysts believe that the government allowed self-organized groups to perform security tasks until now, which carries a risk, "because in Colombia civilian militias turned into violent paramilitary forces." The security situation in Michoacan has become a major challenge for President Enrique Pena Nieto, who promised to crack down on crime and drug cartels when he took office 13 months ago, but failed to achieve this, so villagers began to organize themselves and take control of cities ruled by drug gangs. In the last seven years the war between drug cartels in Mexico resulted in deaths of more than 77,000 people. (Beta/AP) Tanjug

Mexican army clashes with armed civilians

The decision on the military offensive was made on Monday when armed villagers took another city and surrounded Apatzingan.

About 200 federal police and soldiers stormed in and disarmed the local police in the town know as the stronghold of the drug carterl Knights Templar, AFP reported. Previously there was a conflict between federal forces and civilian militias, when four people, including a child, were killed, a militia announced.

Most civilian militias do not want to lay down arms until drug cartel leaders have been arrested. They have seized nearly 20 cities in Michoacan, despite warnings that their expansion would not be tolerated by the federal government.

Analysts believe that the government allowed self-organized groups to perform security tasks until now, which carries a risk, "because in Colombia civilian militias turned into violent paramilitary forces."

The security situation in Michoacan has become a major challenge for President Enrique Pena Nieto, who promised to crack down on crime and drug cartels when he took office 13 months ago, but failed to achieve this, so villagers began to organize themselves and take control of cities ruled by drug gangs.

In the last seven years the war between drug cartels in Mexico resulted in deaths of more than 77,000 people.