Journalist, five others killed in Mexico state of 'Veracruz'

A journalist was among six people killed by armed men in a bar in the Mexican state of Veracruz, the state attorney general's office said on Thursday, days after the murder of another journalist based in the state sparked widespread outrage.

Five gunmen stormed the bar early on Thursday morning in the eastern city of Orizaba, the attorney general's office said. It said it had identified among the dead the bodies of journalist Juan Heriberto Santos and Jose Marquez, a suspected drug boss.

Two other journalists from a local newspaper who were in the bar at the time are in police custody, authorities said.

On July 31, Veracruz-based photo journalist Ruben Espinosa and four women were found dead in a Mexico City flat, prompting international outcry over the treacherous conditions for members of the media working in the state on the Gulf of Mexico.

At least 18 Veracruz journalists have been killed since 2000, according to advocacy group Article 19.