Dozens killed in Mexico as rivals fight for control of Sinaloa cartel

At least 10 more people reported killed as the government deploys 600 soldiers to reinforce security amid gang violence.

At least 10 more people have reportedly been killed in Mexico’s northwestern state of Sinaloa, bringing the number of people killed or missing to more than 100, as rival cartel factions clash, with gruesome violence showing no signs of abating soon.

The latest violence, reported by officials and the media on Sunday, comes after the surprise arrest of Sinaloa Cartel co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada in the United States in late July, which is believed to have unleashed an internal power struggle within the group.

About 70 people have been killed in the state since September 9, mostly in the capital city of Culiacan, the AFP news agency reported citing tallies from officials and the press.

The Reuters news agency reported that another 51 people were missing as a result of the violence.

The first of the three incidents on Saturday in the central Tres Rios area of Culiacan was a shootout between police and alleged hitmen, after which unknown individuals blockaded a road with cars and motorcycles about 200 metres (650 feet) from the prosecutor’s office.

Separately, security agents were attacked by armed men, who then fled into an apartment building.

An ensuing shootout saw three suspected gunmen killed, one arrested and two soldiers injured, Governor Ruben Rocha Moya wrote on X.

On Saturday, Rocha travelled to Mexico City to meet President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum.

The federal government also sent 600 soldiers on Saturday to reinforce security in Sinaloa.

Mexican media also reported seven other deaths.

The bodies of five people were left in the street, half-naked and wearing hats, in what is presumed to be a message of intimidation to the warring factions. There were no details about the two other deaths.

Authorities have yet to comment on the deaths.

Zambada, 76, was arrested on July 25 after flying across the US border. He claims he was kidnapped in Mexico and delivered into US custody against his will.

He was detained along with Joaquin Guzman Lopez, a son of Sinaloa cartel co-founder Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who is serving a life sentence in the US.

The wave of violence is believed to pit gang members loyal to El Chapo and his sons against others aligned with Zambada.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who leaves office at the end of the month, has placed partial blame on the US, saying it unilaterally planned Zambada’s capture.

US Ambassador Ken Salazar rejected the claim on Friday.

“What is being seen in Sinaloa is not the fault of the United States,” he said, adding that the US cannot be held responsible for “the massacres that we see in different places”.

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Al Jazeera and news agencies