MEXICO CITY, February 1 (Sputnik) — At least five members of the Knights Templar cartel have been killed in a shootout with police in the western Mexican state of Michoacan, local authorities said.
The shootout took place in a mountainous area near the city of Tumbiscatio as rural police were conducting a special operation against the cartel.
The Knights Templar emerged in 2011 as an offshoot of the La Familia Michoacana cartel, soon turning into its rival. The group is mostly active in western and south-central parts of the country.
Earlier in January, nine people were reportedly killed when police carried out another operation against drug traffickers in Michoacan. The state has seen numerous clashes between law enforcement and local drug cartel members in recent months.
