Photo credit: BBC
Between 800 and 1,000 families have been forced to abandon their homes in the mountains of central Mexico as a criminal mafia has attacked them with handmade explosives launched from drones and powerful weapons, community and human rights groups said on Sunday.
The Associated Press reports that the wave of violence in the conflict-torn state of Guerrero started on Wednesday when a powderful group known as Los Ardillos began to fiercely attack the communities in a rural mountainous region.
Thousands of people – including women and children – were forced to flee in just a span of days after what they say were years of mounting attacks. At least one person was injured, said an organization representing the community, People’s Indigenous Council of Guerrero – Emiliano Zapata (CIPOG-EZ).
Videos show families fleeing their homes early in the morning Sunday – on Mother’s Day – cloaked by darkness with nothing more than backpacks. Other images shared with The Associated Press show heavy gunfire echoing over farms and drones rigged with explosives laying i n the bush.
Community groups and local religious organizations said Los Ardillos have sought to take over the land for years in their battle for territory with a smattering of other rival criminal groups.
A representative of CIPOG-EZ Marina Velasco said families have fled to nearby towns, where many now take refuge in a soccer field. Velasco said while there is a small presence of stayte actors, communities like these have largely been “abandoned” by Mexican forces in the face of attacks from criminal groups. Mexico’s federal government and local statye authorities in Guerrero did not immediately respond to a request to comment.
Cartels have been using drones and more elaborate weapons for years to wage war, a sign of how entrenched the conflict is in regions like Guerrero, where cartels have splintered into rival factions. Increasingly, communities have taken up arms themselves to fight back against groups like Los Ardillos.
The bloodshed comes as Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has come down more heavily on cartels than her predecessor due to mounting pressure from President Donald Trump who has threatened to take military action against the groups.
