Drug war deaths in Mexico continue

The violence in Mexico surrounding the country's drug gangs continues unabated. At least eight people were reported dead earlier this week in the state of Durango after a battle between alleged drug gangs.

"Durango, about 300 miles south of the border city of Ciudad Juarez, is not known as a hot spot for drug violence. But it abuts the states of Chihuahua and Sinaloa, both of which have been the scene of violent turf wars between drug traffickers.

"Mexican President Felipe Calderon dispatched 2,000 soldiers and federal police to Sinaloa last week amid warring between rival factions of a major drug cartel, violence that has killed more than 200 people this year, according to Mexican media tallies," writes the L.A. Times' Ken Ellingwood.