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Unknown gunmen have killed at least 11 people at a girl’s 15th birthday party in Mexico’s Guerrero state.

Guerrero governor Hector Astudillo said the shooting occurred at the traditional coming-of-age party in Cundancito, in the west of the region.

After the incident, authorities tried to reach the area but were met by gunfire, he said.

Two years ago, 43 students disappeared in Guerrero, which is one of Mexico’s most violent states.

“There was a problem at a 15th birthday party, and according to the information we have, 11 people were killed,” Mr Astudillo said.

Figures compiled by the La Jornada newspaper found that at least 324 people were murdered in Guerrero between October and December last year, most related to the drug trade.

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Mr Astudillo, who said details of the case would be passed to Mexico’s attorney general, did not say whether arrests were made in Cundancito.

The identities of those killed at the party have not been confirmed.

Many drug cartels operate in Guerrero and violence has intensified in its mountainous region in recent months, local media reported.