11 headless, burnt bodies found in southern Mexico

Mexico City, Nov 28: Police found 11 headless bodies of young men on Thursday on the road between Chilapa de Alvarez and Ayahualulco, two towns in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero, prosecutors said.

The bodies, which appear to have been burned, were dumped in the road after a shootout on Wednesday night between rival gangs, Guerrero Attorney General's Office spokesmen told Efe.

Los Rojos and Los Ardillos gangs have been fighting for control of the illegal drug trade and other criminal activities in a section of Guerrero.

Two clandestine graves containing 13 bodies were found nearly a month ago in Chilapa de Alvarez.

On Sep 26, 43 students were detained by police in Iguala, a city in Guerrero, and handed over to the Guerreros Unidos drug cartel, which allegedly killed and burned them to cover their tracks.

The bodies were dumped in the road after a shootout on Wednesday night

Former Iguala Mayor Jose Luis Abarca Velazquez has been linked to the disappearance of the 43 education students.
Abarca was arrested on organised crime, kidnapping and murder charges.

The politician and his wife, Maria de los Angeles Pineda Villa, were arrested by the Federal Police Nov 4 in Mexico City.
Pineda is being held in preventive detention so prosecutors can gather more evidence in the case.

The couple fled from their house Sep 30, four days after Iguala municipal police officers opened fire on students from a rural teachers college. Six people died, 25 were wounded and 43 students disappeared in the incident.

The search for the missing students has turned up numerous clandestine graves in the state. The students' disappearance sparked protests across Mexico.

IANS