19 suspected members of powerful Sinaloa cartel killed in shootout with troops in Mexico

Mexican troops shot dead 19 suspected members of the Sinaloa cartel after they came under attack in the northwestern state, the ministry of defense said Tuesday.

Military personnel were attacked on Monday by more than 30 people near the state capital Culiacan, and the ensuing firefight left 19 cartel members dead, the ministry said in a statement.

Sinaloa has seen a surge in violence since the July arrest of the cartel's co-founder Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada in the United States.