Agency– Mexican security forces engaged in a prolonged shootout with heavily armed suspected cartel members in Sinaloa state Thursday, in an operation that ensnared a son of imprisoned drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.
Mexican federal troops had initially detained Ovidio Guzman Lopez, 28, in the northern city of Culiacan, in what Mexico's State Security Secretary Cristoban Castanillo called a "federally-coordinated operation."
But Security Minister Alfonso Durazo has told Reuters that he was later released, saying the decision was taken to protect lives.
Suspected members of the powerful Sinaloa drug cartel appeared to overpower the security forces during the shootout, who later suspended operations.
According to CNN affiliate ADN40, armored vehicles with military-grade machinery exchanged heavy artillery against federal troops in Culiacan, in the heart of Sinaloa.
The shootout forced many residents to flee in panic, others remained locked in their homes while outside, troops engaged in intense gun battles throughout the day. Residents have been asked to stay inside and schools have been closed until further notice, officials said, according to ADN40.
Images on social media appeared to show the terror unleashed on the inhabitants of Culiacan. Plumes of black smoke billowed on the horizon while on the ground, mothers coddled their children while searching for cover behind parked cars.
फरकधारमा प्रकाशित कुनै समाचारमा तपाईंको गुनासो भए हामीलाई [email protected] मा इमेल गर्न सक्नुहुनेछ । यही इमेलमा तपाईंले आफ्नो विचार वा विश्लेषण, सल्लाह र सुझाव पनि पठाउन सक्नुहुनेछ । हामीसँग तपाईं फेसबुक, ट्विटर, इन्स्टाग्राम, युट्युबमा पनि जोडिन सक्नुहुन्छ ।