Gunfight Between Security Forces, Armed Group Kills at Least 43 in Mexico

A gunfight between security forces and an armed group claimed the lives of at least 43 people in the state of Michoacan in southwestern Mexico on Friday.

The shoot-out, which lasted for about three hours and was probably drug-related, took place in Tanhuato near the Jalisco state border.

Mexican authorities have been fighting for years with the most powerful drug cartel in the area - Jalisco New Generation.

It is believed that the majority of those killed at a ranch were members of the cartel, but the security forces also lost at least one police officer.

The gunfight started when police and security forces responded to reports of an "invasion" of a ranch by a group of armed men.

The Jalisco New Generation cartel has increased its presence in the area, making Michoacan and Jalisco among the most violent states in Mexico.

It is believed that members of the gang have killed at least twenty police officers and soldiers since March, the BBC reports.

Earlier in May, eight soldiers and one police officer died when an army helicopter was shot down, while fifteen officers were killed in an ambush in April.