Mexico gang suspected of downing police helicopter

A police helicopter crashed during an operation to capture suspected gang leaders in western Mexico, killing three officers and the pilot.

Authorities are investigating whether it was gunmen which shot it down.

The incident took place in Michoacan's Tierra Caliente, a region that has endured years of drug violence and vigilante justice.

Silvano Aureoles, governor of the troubled western state of Michoacan, wrote on Twitter that the helicopter "was downed" during the operation in an area of rough terrain. But hours later, he told the Televisa network that he "can't confirm that it was downed" and that authorities were investigating the cause of the crash.

Aureoles said the helicopter fell during an operation to capture leaders of an unidentified criminal group who had tried to abduct a farmer in La Huacana.

"Be certain that we will free Michoacan of the scourge of impunity and crime," Aureoles said.

If confirmed, it would be the second time that a gang would have downed a helicopter since 2015.

Last year, the Jalisco New Generation drug cartel in neighbouring Jalisco state used a rocket launcher to hit a military helicopter, killing seven soldiers and policewoman aboard.