Mexico ambush incident: Four police officers and eight suspects left dead in massive shootout

In a shootout that occurred in Mexico, 12 people have died, including police officers and suspected attackers.

Four municipal policemen were killed after they were ambushed, while as many as eight suspected attackers died at the hands of other cops who rushed to the site, authorities said on Thursday. The incident is said to have happened in western Mexico.

Following the killing, several people were arrested. Officials also seized weapons and ammo. El Salto's police chief, Ricardo Santillán, referred to the shootings as "a cowardly act."

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Ambush-style police shootout in Mexico raises alarms

As per reports, the four municipal policemen were responding to a call about gunmen at a home in the city of El Salto, Luis Joaquín Méndez, chief prosecutor of Jalisco, Mexico, said.

Upon receiving this information, the officers arrived at the location. The door was answered by a woman who refuted the claims of gunmen in her house. Within moments, guns were fired from inside the house. Méndez said some officers were even dragged into the home and killed.

This led to reinforcements being sent to the location. When the backup arrived, there was a shootout between the gunmen and the cops that led to the death of eight and the wounding of three.

Once the dust settled, the bodies of four police officers and five suspected gunmen were found at the home. The bodies of three other people, two men and a woman were found nearby, the prosecutor's office said.

Those killed are believed to be gang members who allegedly held kidnap victims at one of the properties. Investigators also found the butchered body of a man in a plastic bag.

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Change course on security: Catholic Council to Mexican government

In an open letter to the government, the Roman Catholic Mexican Council of Bishops urged the authorities to change course on security. This comes three days after two Jesuit priests were allegedly murdered by a drug gang leader inside their church in northern Mexico.

In the letter, the bishops wrote:

"It is time to revise the security policies that are failing."

They also emphasized on the importance of a "national dialogue" to find solutions for the rise in violence.

Meanwhile, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has announced that the government will not focus their efforts on capturing drug cartel leaders. Back in 2019, Obrador even ordered the release of the Sinaloa cartel leader to prevent violence.

Obrador implemented a strategy that he referred to as "hugs, not bullets." He even appreciated these groups for not interfering in elections.

This year alone, 10 police officers died in Jalisco, which is considered to be one of Mexico's most violent states, official figures stated.

Meanwhile, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel is being considered responsible for additional fatalities and disappearances. The Department of Justice has termed the Jalisco cartel to be "one of the five most dangerous transnational criminal organizations in the world."