MEXICO CITY, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- Mexico uncovered 11 bodies, including two minors, inside an abandoned pickup truck on a boulevard in Chilpancingo, capital of southern Guerrero state, local authorities said Thursday.
An anonymous tip received Wednesday night led authorities to the bodies of nine men and two women left in the Parador del Marques area of the city, the state Attorney General's Office said in a statement.
A forensics team was sent to the site to identify the victims and an investigation into the homicides is underway.
The victims are believed to be part of a group of 17 vendors who went missing two weeks ago, according to local media. They were reportedly selling household goods in the community of El Epazote when contact with them was lost, prompting a search operation by the state Public Security Secretariat, the National Guard and the army.
The army said on Tuesday that it would deploy troops, including special forces, to locate the missing, citing suspicions they were abducted by the criminal group "Los Ardillos."
"Los Ardillos" is one of Guerrero's most dangerous criminal groups, controlling the central part of the state, including Chilpancingo.
Guerrero has been roiled by violence for years due to drug trafficking and production in the state. ■