Jalisco, Mexico

An “unprecedented” explosives attack by suspected gang members left six police officers dead and 10 injured in Mexico’s western Jalisco state.

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State Governor Enrique Alfaro condemned the incident on Twitter, saying that the police officers and staff from the state prosecutor's office “suffered a cowardly attack with explosive devices, which preliminarily caused the death of three colleagues from the municipal police and the Prosecutor's Office.”

"This is an unprecedented event that shows what these organized crime groups are capable of. This attack also represents a challenge against the Mexican state as a whole,” the governor said.

The death toll was later revised to six. 

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Alfaro said that Jalisco's security cabinet was "in permanent session" to investigate the attack, and that they are finding out which gang was responsible.

The authorities were informed of the attack after 8 pm (local time) on Tuesday, with local media reporting that a vehicle was on fire with five people inside in Tlajomulco de Zuniga, a suburb of the city of Guadalajara, AFP news agency reported quoting police sources.

Local TB network Televisa reported that the blast occurred near a vehicle in which the security officials were travelling.

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Jalisco New Generation cartel behind attack? 

Even though no gang members have been named so far, it is widely believed that Jalisco New Generation cartel, which the US Department of Justice has called "one of the five most dangerous transnational criminal organizations in the world", may be responsible.

This drug cartel group is said to have influence in large part of the country and is currently embroiled in disputes with other drug syndicates.

A probe is currently underway to find whether a grenade or homemade mine was used, police said.

It is being further reported that the Jalisco New Generation cartel has used the latter device in the western state of Michoacan.

Most of the members or associates of the Jalisco cartel were sanctioned by the US Treasury Department in April.

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They are widely known for producing millions of doses of deadly fentanyl and smuggling them into the United States disguised to look like Xanax, Percocet or oxycodone.

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Such pills cause about 70,000 overdose deaths per year in the United States, AFP news agency reported.

Their leader, Nemesio Oseguera, "El Mencho," is among the most sought by Mexican and US authorities.

(With inputs from agencies)

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