Drug war: 11 dead in Mexico clashes

NUEVO LAREDO, Mexico—At least 11 people, including a soldier, were killed in three clashes between armed groups and authorities in northeastern Mexico, a state attorney said Sunday.

The deaths “were the result of several shootouts” on Friday in three municipalities, the Tamaulipas attorney general said in a statement.

The first, in Gustavo Diaz Ordaz, left two armed civilians dead. Four hours later in the border city of Matamoros, six armed civilians were killed.

And Friday night, in Guemez, a soldier and two armed civilians were killed.

Since 2010, the Gulf drug cartel and its former ally, Los Zetas have fought a bloody battle for dominance in Tamaulipas.

More than 70,000 people have been killed in the drug war in the past six years.