Shootout At Virgin of Guadalupe Festival

Suspected drug cartel gunmen attacked each other during annual religious celebrations in a small Mexican town, killing 11 people and wounding 22 others, local authorities said on Saturday.

The rival gangs shot machine guns into the packed central square of Tecalitlan late Friday night and wreaked havoc on the festival in honor of the Virgin of Guadalupe, one of Mexico's most cherished national and religious symbols.

"During the celebration, a group of subjects arrived in several vehicles to attack another group in the town plaza, sparking a battle," a statement from the attorney general's office in the central state of Jalisco said.

The gunmen also lobbed a grenade into the crowd.