12 alleged cartel members killed by Mexican soldiers near U.S. border

Mexican troops on patrol killed 12 gunmen in a clash near the U.S. border in Tamaulipas, according to the government of the northeastern state, which has been rocked by violence linked to organized crime. The slain attackers were alleged members of a drug cartel, government sources told AFP.

The shootout occurred when soldiers were patrolling Miguel Aleman municipality on the border with the United States, the office of Tamaulipas's spokesperson for security said on social media.

It said members of the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena) "were attacked by armed civilians who were hiding in the bush" at around 2 pm local time.