An armed attack on a vehicle transporting migrants early Sunday morning left one child dead and eight adults injured in the northern border state of Sonora, according to the state’s Attorney General’s Office (FGJES).

The incident occurred near the Tubutama-Sáric highway junction around 1:15 a.m. on Aug. 18, when unknown assailants opened fire on a van carrying migrants.

The deceased minor was a boy from southern Mexico, officials said, and the wounded included Mexicans and people from Ecuador and Africa, according to the Associated Press, despite earlier reports that the victims were from Haiti.

After the attack, the surviving victims — five men and three women — sought refuge in nearby homes, fearing further violence. Later, the injured were transported to a nearby health center for treatment.

No age was given for the deceased minor.

A video of the van being hauled away shows that its windows were shattered and that it had been set on fire.

“FGJES is conducting an investigation into the incident and is also carrying out a search operation in the area among the security forces in the state to find the whereabouts of the alleged perpetrators,” the government agency posted Sunday afternoon on the social media site X.

FGJES also noted it was “deploying security forces from all three levels of government,” including the National Defense Ministry (Sedena). “A coordinated operation involving ground and air support is underway.”

Local media speculated that the attack might be linked to a confrontation between rival criminal groups, potentially involving factions of the Sinaloa Cartel. However, official confirmation was pending.

As of early Monday afternoon, FGJES had not provided any updates on social media.

The incident occurred near the remote municipality of Tubutama, located in a sparsely populated region known for its rugged terrain about 50 kilometers from the U.S. border. The area is subjected to conflicts between criminal groups, largely due to its proximity to drug trafficking routes.

Last month, three migrants died and at least 14 were injured when a tractor-trailer overturned in southern Sonora.

With reports from Infobae, La Silla Rota, AP and El Universal