7 Officers Slain in Chiapas Ambush

TUXTLA GUTIERREZ, Mexico — Seven police officers were killed Monday when armed men ambushed a patrol in Mexico’s troubled southern state of Chiapas, where Indian rebels took up arms six years ago, an official said.

State prosecutor Eduardo Montoya said the attack occurred on a rural road northwest of the state capital, Tuxtla Gutierrez.

Montoya said the identity of the gunmen was unknown and that a manhunt had been launched. Federal officials said the attackers seized seven high-caliber weapons.

Chiapas has simmered with tension since the Zapatista National Liberation Army rose in rebellion on Jan. 1, 1994, demanding improved rights for Mexico’s 10 million Indians.