Seven bullet-ridden bodies were discovered on a road near the Amanalco-Valle de Bravo highway in México state on Monday. 

The victims were found in the community of San Lucas, about 70 kilometers from the state capital Toluca. Residents reported an intense gun battle had taken place in the area early Monday.

Police confirmed that five of the victims were found lying beside a Nissan sedan, which had been hit at least 35 times. 

The sixth victim was inside the vehicle and the seventh was found in a nearby ravine. 

México state is one of six states which are responsible for 50% of the country’s murders. The other states are Guanajuato, Baja California, Michoacán, Jalisco and Chihuahua.

Mexico recorded the two most violent years in its history in the first two years of President López Obrador’s term, with 34,690 murders in 2019 and 34,558 in 2020.

With reports from Reforma and Infobae