Mexico troops kill 13 in battle with gunmen

Mexican troops have killed 13 gunmen in a shootout in the border town of Nuevo Laredo and seized weapons and drugs, officials said. The defense secretariat said in a statement late Thursday that 13 "assailants" had fallen while three soldiers were wounded after troops came under attack in the town across the border from the US city of Laredo, Texas.
After the clash, soldiers seized several weapons, including 12 rifles and a grenade launcher, as well as drugs, the statement said, without specifying the type or quantity. Local officials said the fighting lasted around four hours and saw roadblocks erected on major streets - a technique often used by drug gangs during battles with the military and police. Mexico's northern border region has been the scene of intense gangland-style violence in recent years as powerful drug cartels have battled over lucrative trade routes to the north. Some 50,000 people are believed to have been killed since Mexico launched a massive military crackdown on the gangs in late 2006.