ACAPULCO, Mexico — Mexican soldiers fought a two-hour battle with heavily armed men holed up at a house in an Acapulco hotel zone, killing 15 of the gunmen as tourists cowered in their rooms nearby.
One soldier was killed, and the wounded included three soldiers and three bystanders. Several Mexican tourists were evacuated from small hotels in a faded neighborhood once frequented by Hollywood stars.
When soldiers arrived at the house on a tip, the gunmen opened fire and hurled about 50 grenades, according to an Army colonel, who wore a ski mask to protect his identity for security reasons as he showed reporters the scene Sunday.
Several gunmen tried to flee but crashed their car into a military Hummer that was blocking the gate. At one point, more armed men with grenades arrived by car to reinforce the gunmen in the house, but they were killed, the colonel said.
Soldiers found four Guerrero state police officers handcuffed inside the garage, the colonel said. The officers, still bound and sitting on the floor when reporters arrived, said they had been held captive by the gunmen, the colonel said.
The colonel said their claims would be investigated.
