At least 13 killed in Guatemala land dispute

At least 13 people have died due to clashes arising from a land dispute between residents of two administrative regions in the southwestern department of Sololá, Guatemala. This was reported on Saturday via Twitter by the country's National Civil Police (PNC), as conveyed by TASS.

“Police discovered the bodies of 13 victims in the village of Chiquix (Sololá), who fell victim to unacceptable fratricide,” the report stated. It was noted that among the deceased were women and children, with one police officer also having died and two others injured during the conflict.

After several unsuccessful attempts, police units managed to enter the area of the clashes. Meanwhile, military command has announced that a 60-member unit is present in the Nahuala administrative region to assist the law enforcement agencies if necessary.

The clashes occurred in areas between Nahuala and Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan municipalities, which share a common border, due to a land dispute. For nearly 100 years, residents have been contesting the boundary territories, which have previously led to several instances of violence.