Land dispute leaves 13 dead in Mexico
Mexico City, July 18 : A clash between residents of communities in southern Mexican state of Oaxaca over a land dispute left at least 13 people dead and another one injured, prosecutors said Tuesday.
The armed attack occurred on Monday afternoon in the Yautepec District in Oaxaca, when several inhabitants of the community of Santa Maria Ecatepec were ambushed by residents of the neighboring town of San Lucas Ixcotepec, according to the state prosecutor's office, Xinhua reported.
Initial investigations suggest that victims from Santa Maria Ecatepec were working in a disputed area of farmland that borders both communities.
Local press reported that the confrontation was triggered when residents of San Lucas Ixcotepec ambushed and shot at a truck carrying 25 members of the neighbouring community to the disputed terrain.
Government information said the two communities have been in dispute over the area 3,660 hectares since the 1970s.
Preliminary reports said that 11 men and two women were killed while more were injured. Those injured were taken to receive medical attention in Oaxaca city, the capital of the state.
According to the district attorney's report, local police deployed 42 officers to the Santa Maria Ecatepec to restore peace while district attorney authorities, police and dogs examined the confrontation site.
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Putin in close contact with Gulf leaders to facilitate de-escalation: Kremlin
Moscow (PTI): Russian President Vladimir Putin is making all possible efforts to de-escalate the crisis in the Gulf and is in close contact with the regional leaders as Iran is retaliating with massive strikes on the US facilities and infrastructure on their territories, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.
The US and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran on Saturday, assassinating 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, alongside family members, including his daughter and grandchildren. Since then, Iran has targeted multiple US bases in the surrounding Gulf States.
"Putin will certainly make every effort to facilitate at least a minor easing of tensions. In this regard, we discussed with virtually all of our interlocutors yesterday," the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
"Taking advantage of the dialogue we maintain with the Iranian leadership, (President) Putin will convey his deep concern regarding the strikes on their infrastructure to our colleagues in Iran," he added.
According to the Kremlin, Putin spoke by telephone with leaders of Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.
In his telephonic conversation with Crown Prince and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, Putin discussed the escalating situation in the region as a result of the American-Israeli armed aggression against Iran.
“Both sides expressed serious concern over the real risks of escalation of the conflict, which has already affected several Arab countries and is fraught with catastrophic consequences. In this context, Vladimir Putin underscored the urgent need to resolve the current extremely dangerous situation through political and diplomatic means,” the Kremlin said.
On Monday, Putin also had telephonic contacts with the King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, who currently chairs the Gulf Cooperation Council, Emir of the State of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
“Exchange of views was held regarding the unprecedented escalation around Iran as a result of US and Israeli aggression, which is bringing the entire region to the brink of a full-scale war with unpredictable consequences. Sides underscored the need for a swift cessation of hostilities to prevent the situation from spiralling completely out of control and to return it to a political and diplomatic framework,” the Kremlin said.
The current developments, in particular, threaten the security of many Arab states with which Russia maintains friendly relations.
Given this, President Putin reaffirmed Russia's readiness to use all available means to actively contribute to stabilising the situation in the region, the Kremlin said, adding that contacts with the Gulf leaders will continue.
