Twelve people were killed in a Mexican bar Saturday evening in a region of the country marred by wars between rival drug gangs.
The shooting took place in a bar in Irapuato in the state of Guanajuato, the city’s Secretary of Citizen Safety said in a statement, according to CNN.
Six men and six women were killed, the statement said.
The incident took place at about 8 p.m. local time.
According to The Sun, local media reported that heavily armed men entered the bar and opened fire.
The gunmen had their faces covered.
Those who were in the bar at the time of the shooting tried to escape through the back door, the report said, as neighbors heard the gunfire.
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Saturday night’s shooting is the second in recent weeks in the state of Guanajuato.
In September, 10 people were killed in a pool hall in the community of Tarimoro.
In the September attack, the gunmen responsible took a video of the dead and streamed it on social media, according to the Daily Mirror.
Reuters reported that a motive for Saturday’s shooting was not given.
The state has been a battleground for wars between drug gangs.
The state is an important area for automakers, who have several plants located in the region.
Some gangs are fighting to control the lucrative fentanyl trade, according to Border Report.
“Where a lot of it is being manufactured is in states that are controlled by these cartels […] and states like Colima where the precursor chemicals are coming in from China,” Michael Ballard, director of intelligence for Global Guardian, said.
The Sinaloa cartel and the Jalisco New Generation cartel are each trying to dominate the other, he said.
“That’s why you’re seeing a lot of violence lately in the western half of Mexico, because these two cartels are accommodating in this trade, fighting with each other. And then you have factions fighting with each other. Sinaloa has rival factions and they’re (also) fighting with police,” Ballard said.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.