Officials in Mexico say a shootout between suspected rival drug gangsin the western state of Michoacan has left at least two people dead.

They say the 30-minute early morning firefight tore through the state capital Morelia Friday, until police intervened.

One gunman who tried to escape capture is reported to have been killed by police, while another man was found dead on the scene.

TheAssociated Press reports that on Friday in the same state, in the cityof Uruapan, the bodies of three men, who had been tortured, blindfoldedand shot in the head, were found in plastic bags.  

Mexico has suffered from increasing violence in recent months related to a growing drug trade.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.