Representative image (Source: X/@Reuters)

At least seven people were killed and five others critically injured on Saturday when gunmen opened fire at a bar in Tula, central Mexico, local authorities said. The municipal police reported that four victims died at the scene, while three more later succumbed to their injuries in the hospital, news agency AFP reported.According to authorities, around 1.30 am, security forces were alerted to a shooting inside the bar “La Resaka,” located in the El Llano neighborhood, First Section. Reports indicated that a group of heavily armed men entered the venue and fired at patrons inside. The victims were rushed to a hospital for treatment.Following the incident, federal and state forces were heavily deployed. Although security forces launched an operation, the attackers fled, and no arrests have been made so far, reported El Universal.The area remains cordoned off as the Prosecutor’s Office has opened formal investigations. Nearby businesses, mainly bars, closed their doors in response to the attack.Tula has reportedly been one of the region’s hot spots for violence in recent months. According to Security Secretary Salvador Cruz Neri, the area has seen a dispute between two criminal gangs over control of fuel theft and drug trafficking, which has driven the recent surge in insecurity.