Men armed with grenades and high caliber weapons attacked several military patrol vehicles on a road in Guasave in the northwestern state of Sinaloa on Wednesday.
Schools and businesses in the area remained closed following the fighting.
According to Sinaloa state prosecutors, security forces seized vehicles and weapons, including a high-powered rifle capable of penetrating armored vehicles.
“An operation is under way to ensure that calm and security return to the Guasave area,” state governor Mario Lopez Valdez said.
At least 22 others have been killed in similar clashes in Sinaloa state since Saturday.
Sinaloa is one of the Mexican states worst affected by drug-related violence.
Some 50,000 people are estimated to have been killed in Mexico’s drug-linked violence since President Felipe Calderon launched a military crackdown on the criminal gangs in 2006.
—-Agencies