Mexican army kills 12 gunmen in shootout near Texas border

MEXICO CITY — Mexican soldiers killed 12 gunmen in a shootout near the Texas border, authorities said.

The security department of the northern border state of Tamaulipas said late Sunday the confrontation took place in the township of Miguel Aleman, across the border from Roma, Texas.

The department wrote on its social media accounts that soldiers came under attack and that 12 suspects were “reduced” in the shootout. The word is an old-style reference to killing suspects. Twelve rifles were seized at the scene.

The security department released no additional details on the attack on the soldiers and no group immediately claimed responsibility. The Mexican army said it did not yet have any information on the shootout.

Miguel Aleman has long been the scene of turf battles and violence involving the old Zetas cartel, now known as the Cartel of the Northeast, and the Gulf cartel.