18 killed in gunbattles in northeastern Mexico

Gunbattles between rival gangs killed 18 people in a northeastern Mexican town Monday, a day after seven police officers and an inmate died in an ambush of a convoy transporting prisoners in western Mexico.

The fighting in the town of Abasolo erupted Monday morning and left at least 18 people dead, the Tamaulipas state government said in a three-sentence statement that offered no details. It said state and federal security forces had arrived in the town to restore order and investigate. (AP)