Mexico City security chief wounded in attack

MEXICO CITY: Mexico City´s security chief was wounded in a gun attack Friday in which several people were killed, Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said.

The mayor said on Twitter that Omar Garcia Harfuch´s life was not in danger following the early morning attack. “He is out of danger and being treated in a hospital. There were deaths and several detainees,” said Sheinbaum, adding that the attack happened around 6:38 am (1138 GMT). She did not specify the number of people killed but said details would be provided at a press conference later Friday. “I am coordinating with the National Guard, taking the necessary measures to guarantee security in the city,” she said. “What happened has to do with the great work that is being carried out to guarantee peace and tranquility in the city, in coordination with federal forces.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said at his daily press conference that he had learned of the attack from the mayor. “The preliminary report says that the head of public security is wounded,” the president said. Six organized crime groups operate in Mexico City and the vast metropolitan area, National Defense Secretary Luis Sandoval said Thursday. Despite growing drug cartel violence in Mexico over the last decade, the capital remains relatively calm compared to other areas of the country.