Armed attackers kidnap, kill eight in Mexico

Armed attackers kidnapped and killed eight people in the Mexican town Alto Lucero in Veracruz state, officials said Saturday.

The bodies of the victims, seven men and one woman, were found after their abduction on Friday, according to prosecutors, who said the suspects were still on the loose.

A police source who asked not to be identified said armed gunmen raided several homes in the town, stealing "electrical appliances and other items of value" before the kidnappings.

Police said they located and have secured 12 vehicles which they believe were used during the robbery and killing spree.

Oil-rich Veracruz, one of Mexico's most violent states, has been hit by years of unrest blamed on turf wars between the Jalisco New Generation drug cartel and their rivals, Los Zetas.

Both gangs seek to monopolize drug trafficking routes to the United States, and often kidnap and extort locals as well as immigrants from Central America.

Since the government launched a militarized war on drug trafficking in December 2006, a surge in violence has claimed the lives of more than 166,000 people with more than 27,000 reported disappearances, according to official figures.