Gun battle with drug cartel suspects leaves 25 dead

A reconnaissance flight over Ciudad Mier in Tamaulipas state spotted several gunmen in front of a property, according to Mexico's Defence Department.

When troops on the ground moved in, gunmen opened fire, starting a battle that killed 25 suspected cartel members, the military said. The statement said two soldiers were injured but none was killed.

Earlier, a military spokesman had said the shootout happened when troops on patrol in neighbouring Nuevo Leon state came under fire from a ranch allegedly controlled by the Zetas drug gang.

The spokesman said the troops returned fire at a ranch, known as "The Stump". A defence department statement later said the shootout took place in Tamaulipas.

Authorities rescued three people believed to be kidnap victims in the raid, according to the statement. The military said troops seized 25 rifles, four grenades, 4,200 rounds of ammunition and 23 vehicles.

Violence has surged in north-eastern Mexico this year since the Zetas broke ranks with their former employer, the Gulf cartel, making Tamaulipas one of the country's most dangerous battlegrounds.

In June, gunmen ambushed and killed the leading candidate for state governor a week before the elections. And in May a mayoral candidate in Tamaulipas was assassinated.

In August, Mexican marines discovered the bodies of 72 Central and South American migrants believed to have been gunned down by the Zetas after refusing to smuggle drugs.