Ten people were reported killed in clashes on Sunday, April 28, between armed groups in the western Mexican state of Michoacan, which is plagued by battles between rival drug gangs, according to Reuters.

Skirmishes broke out in two communities near the town of Apatzingan, a drug gang stronghold, local media said.

The dead were reportedly members of vigilante groups that have recently sprung up in the region, claiming that state and federal police are not protecting them from criminal gangs.

Media reports said groups armed with high-powered rifles and grenades attacked vigilante checkpoints early Sunday.