Mexico City, Sep 17 (AP) Mexican soldiers and police killed 9 suspected gunmen in shootouts near the U.S. border Thursday.

The government of the northern border state of Coahuila said state police officers came under fire while patrolling a dirt road southwest of the border city of Nuevo Laredo.

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The state said that soldiers were called in for reinforcement and that they pursued and killed the attackers following a confrontation.

Of the two vehicles found at the scene, one was a truck fitted with homemade steel-plate armor. Such trucks, known as “monsters,” are often used by drug gangs in the region.

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The state government said 10 weapons were found at the scene, including a .50-caliber sniper rifle. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)