Key points:
– Two separate, coordinated armed attacks left at least 24 people dead.
– Authorities say the violence is linked to gangs fighting over drug routes and palm plantations.
– The incidents occurred the same week Congress approved anti-violence and security reforms.
Two separate attacks in Honduras killed at least 24 people on Thursday, police said.
The first incident occurred at a ranch in the municipality of Trujillo, where authorities reported at least 19 workers were found dead. Yuri Mora, a spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office, told local television, “Two teams are working in two places. The first team has already identified 13 fallen individuals, and the second has counted six people who also lost their lives.” Forensic teams remain on site and officials warned the death toll could rise as their work continues.
Northern Honduras has long been affected by agrarian disputes. Officials said rival gangs appear to be fighting for control of palm plantations and drug trafficking routes, a pattern that has driven much of the recent violence.
In a separate attack in Omoa, in the Cortés department near the Guatemalan border, gunmen opened fire on police officers. At least four officers and one civilian were killed, police said. The officers had traveled from the capital, Tegucigalpa, as part of an anti-gang operation.
The National Police announced it will “proceed immediately with a direct intervention in the affected areas,” following the shootings.
Both attacks came during the same week that Honduras’ Congress approved a package of security and anti-violence measures. Despite those steps, the Central American country continues to suffer one of the region’s highest homicide rates, with more than 24 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants.
Edited by: Rana Taha
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