24 Die in Drug Violence in Mexican Resort

A series of shootings killed 24 people yesterday in the Mexican state that holds the resort city of Acapulco, even as thousands were arriving for spring break. Two decapitated men were found on a scenic road packed with nightclubs, while another was found shot to death on the edge of the city. Nearly half the victims died in a midday shootout that erupted when attackers opened fire on soldiers patrolling the center of the small town of Ajuchitlan del Progreso.

Gunmen, meanwhile, killed five police officers on patrol in Tuncingo, a rural area outside Acapulco. In the same area, police found the bullet-ridden bodies of five other men, including two who had been beheaded. Gang violence has surged since President Felipe Calderon's drug crackdown began three years ago, claiming more than 17,900 lives. (More Mexican drug war stories.)