5 dead after Mexican vigilante groups confrontation in cartel stronghold
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Five men have been found dead and power has been cut to hundreds of thousands of residents of the western Mexico state of Michoacan, following clashes in which self-described "self-defense" forces are seeking to oust the Knights Templar drug cartel.
The clashes follow a daring march over the weekend by self-defense force vigilantes into the city of Apatzingan, the central stronghold of the Knights Templar.
In retaliation, gunmen believed to be linked to the pseudo-religious cartel mounted coordinated attacks on electrical facilities in 14 towns and cities throughout Michoacan on Sunday.
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Vigilante leader Jose Mireles said Monday the retaliation also included an armed attack on self-defense trenches on the outskirts of Michoacan. Detectives say five men were found dead at the scene, but Mireles says there 13 deaths.