MEXICO CITY, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced on Thursday the arrest of soldiers involved in a recent shooting that left six migrants dead on a highway in the southern state of Chiapas.

Four migrants were shot dead on the scene on Tuesday while traveling in a vehicle. Another 12 were injured with two having died of injuries later in hospital, while 17 others escaped unharmed.

"It is a regrettable incident, and it has to be investigated and punished," the president told a daily press conference.

The troops who fired are "already in the custody of the Attorney General of the Republic ... who has to investigate how the events occurred" and determine responsibilities, Sheinbaum said, adding that the government is in contact with the embassies of the migrants involved to provide support to the families of the deceased.

The incident happened on the Villa Comaltitlan-Huixtla Highway on Tuesday night. According to a statement released by the Defense Ministry on Wednesday, the military was conducting a "ground reconnaissance" at the time when they detected a truck traveling at high speed, and the driver of the vehicle attempted to evade the checkpoint.

According to the soldiers, two more vehicles, similar to those usually used by criminals, were accompanying the truck. After hearing what they described as "detonations," two of the soldiers opened fire, stopping one of the vehicles.

The soldiers identified a total of 33 migrants of various nationalities, including Egyptians, Nepalese, Cubans, Indians and Pakistanis, according to local media. Enditem

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