'We threw ourselves to the floor': Mexican passenger plane caught in cartel crossfire - Reuters Canada

MEXICO CITY, Jan 5 (Reuters) - "That's an onslaught plane, Dad," said 1 of David Tellez's young children arsenic they spotted Mexican subject craft touching down alongside their Aeromexico rider level aboriginal connected Thursday.

Then the gunfire began.

"As we were accelerating for take-off, we heard gunshots precise adjacent to the plane, and that's erstwhile we each threw ourselves to the floor," Tellez said aft the incidental successful the bluish metropolis of Culiacan.

Violence broke retired connected Thursday passim Culiacan aft the apprehension of Ovidio Guzman, the lad of the notorious cause lord known arsenic El Chapo, and a elder subordinate of the Sinaloa cartel.

Aeromexico said cipher connected Tellez's formation had been hurt. The Culiacan airdrome closed soon after, arsenic information forces patrolled the city, which was strewn with burned vehicles, attempting to incorporate the convulsive backlash.

Tellez, 42, was traveling with his woman and children, aged 7, 4 and 1, aft spending Christmas with family.

He told Reuters helium had reached the airdrome for his 8:24 a.m. formation without incident, contempt encountering roadworthy blockades acceptable up aft overnight shootouts. Although Guzman's apprehension had not yet been confirmed, tense information guards urged travelers to participate quickly.

"Authorities were not saying anything," helium said by phone.

Tellez hid successful an airdrome bath with his household aft proceeding that pack members were successful the airport. The rumor turned retired to beryllium false, and the Aeromexico travelers boarded quickly.

Yet, conscionable arsenic formation AM165 to Mexico City was astir to instrumentality off, a succession of subject planes landed connected the airstrip.

Tellez took retired his cellphone, signaling respective videos that amusement 2 ample aerial unit transport aircraft, smaller, fighter-like onslaught craft and subject trucks connected the tarmac. Then gunshots began to echo successful the distance.

A video circulating connected societal media, appearing to seizure the aforesaid incident, showed passengers crouching debased beneath their seats arsenic a kid cried.

A formation attendant said the motor had been hit, triggering a leak. The unit directed passengers to disembark, moving them to a windowless waiting country successful the airport.

It is not wide who was shooting astatine whom.

Tellez's household plans to committee different formation connected Friday, but until then, is staying put.

"We similar to enactment astatine the airdrome until it's harmless to leave," helium said. "The metropolis is worse. There is simply a batch of shooting and confusion."

Reporting by Sarah Morland and Carolina Ruiz successful Mexico City; Editing by Bradley Perrett

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