Gunmen stormed a prison in the northern Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez on Sunday, killing 14 people and allowing 24 inmates to escape, Chihuahua state prosecutors said.
An unknown number of gunmen in armored vehicles took part in the attack, and the dead included 10 prison guards and security agents, the office said in a statement.
About five hours after the dawn raid began, security forces were able to bring the situation under control, which also erupted into a fight between inmates at the sprawling state prison, near Mexico’s border with the United States.
Before the attack, gunmen opened fire on municipal police along a nearby boulevard, leading a car chase that ended with the seizure of the vehicle and four people, the statement added.
Later, the assailants in the Hummer fired at another group of security agents outside the prison, he said.
Chaotic scenes unfolded as relatives of some prisoners awaited New Year’s visits outside the compound.
Inside, some rioting inmates set fire to various objects and clashed with prison guards, local media reported.
Prosecutors said an outbreak of violence at the prison, where inmates from different criminal gangs and drug cartels are housed in separate cell blocks, also left 13 people injured.
Four people were detained, prosecutors said, without specifying whether they were detainees or armed attackers.
Details were not immediately available on how the 24 inmates managed to escape or who they were.
Also Read: Cocaine ‘super-cartel’ busted in Dubai, Europe – police
– History of violent clashes –
Prosecutors in the city, which borders El Paso, Texas, said they were investigating a motive for the attack.
Ciudad Juarez has been the scene of years of violent clashes between security forces and the rival Sinaloa and Juarez drug cartels, which have left thousands dead over the past decade.
The prison itself has seen a series of clashes and riots, including a bloody episode in March 2009 that left 20 dead.
In August 2022, a clash between rival gangs left three prisoners dead.
According to the February 2022 report by the State Human Rights Commission, more than 3,700 people are detained in prisons, more than the maximum capacity of 3,135.
In February 2016, as part of his visit to Mexico, Pope Francis held mass in the courtyard of the country’s prison with 700 prisoners and their families.
Mexico’s detention centers, especially those run by the state, suffer from chronic overcrowding and violence, which has worsened in recent years due to conflicts between criminal groups.