Mexico prison shooting: 17 dead in Ciudad Juarez clash

Mexican officials say at least 17 people have been killed and another four injured in an armed clash in a prison in the city of Ciudad Juarez.

A spokesman for the city's authorities told the BBC that one group of inmates attacked rivals from another drug gang on Monday night.
He said they used weapons they had seized from prison guards.
The spokesman denied press reports that the prisoners had attempted to break out of the jail.
It took security forces several hours to regain control.
Anxious relatives have been gathering outside the jail, known locally as the "Cereso", a shortened form of its full Spanish name - the Social Rehabilitation Center for Adults.
At least one woman was amongst those killed. The prison holds about 2,500 inmates.

 

Relatives of immates gathered outside the jail on Tuesday

Ciudad Juarez, which borders the United States, is one of the world's most violent cities.
The BBC's correspondent in Mexico, Julian Miglierini, says the city accounts for some 20% of the total number of deaths caused by the country's drug conflict.
"Clashes between rival gangs who fight over the local drug business and trafficking routes into the US are a frequent occurrence in the streets of Juarez," he says.

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