Thousands Flee Violence in South Mexico Town

Over 4,000 residents in south Mexico were forced to seek shelter in a neighboring town after alleged gang members opened fire and burnt houses and vehicles, victims said.

Violence erupted around 8 pm, when alleged gang members stormed the town of Tila, in the southern state of Chiapas, forcing residents to hide in their homes and eventually, move to a makeshift shelter in the nearby town of Yajalon.

The attack aftermath with charred vehicles, burnt-out houses and empty streets as displaced residents are scared of coming back to their homes.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said the army was sent to the area to protect the victims and said the violence resulted from conflicts among residents.

The Chiapas prosecutor’s office informed that at least six suspects have been detained.

Residents of the town of Tila fled over the weekend after armed gangs shot up the town and burned many homes last week, state prosecutors said. It was probably the biggest mass displacement in Chiapas since 1997.

Some residents recounted spending days trapped in their homes before army troops and state police showed up over the weekend to allow them to leave.

The Digna Ochoa Human Rights Center said a group calling itself the “Autonomos,” or Autonomous Ones, was behind the violence, and said it was linked to drug trafficking. At least two people were confirmed dead and at least 17 buildings were burned last week, according to state prosecutors.

The gangs had also been blamed for extorting protection payments from residents and setting up roadblocks.