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Eleven headless corpses discovered in Mexico

29/08/2008

Eleven headless corpses have been discovered in the Mexican city of Merida.

Local police confirmed the bodies had been found in a mutilated state and believe the killings were drugs-related.

The bodies were found stacked and covered in blankets near a graveyard in Chichi Suarez. Officers are reported to still be searching for some of the victim's heads.

A 12th decapitated body was also found in Buctzotz, 45 miles northeast of Merida.

Local officials confirmed the bodies were initially found by members of the public.

"We believe that the 12 executions were an isolated incident and not part of a strategy to destabilise the state," Yucatan state prosecutor Jose Guzman said.

There have been more than 2,700 drug-related killings in Mexico so far this year.