MEXICO CITY — Two soldiers from Mexico’s military lost their lives, and five others sustained injuries due to an improvised explosive device (IED) apparently set by a drug cartel, as reported by the nation’s defense secretary on Tuesday.

General Ricardo Trevilla confirmed that the army had previously recorded six casualties from similar explosive devices between the years 2018 and 2024. However, he did not clarify whether these soldiers were victims of drones dropping bombs or of roadside IEDs, both tactics that have been utilized by criminal organizations within the country.

Trevilla described the type of device responsible for the Monday explosion as “very rustic,” indicating similarities to concealed pipe bombs that have been noted in earlier statements from officials. The current status of the five injured personnel, which included at least one officer, was not disclosed at the time.

The details shared by Trevilla about the incident’s location in the western state of Michoacan hinted at it being a potential booby trap laid by drug cartels. He explained that the army had dispatched a patrol in response to reports of armed individuals in a remote area. Upon arrival, the armed forces identified a location surrounded by stockades that resembled a camp. However, when they attempted to access the site in vehicles, they found their path obstructed by logs, forcing them to continue on foot.

As the soldiers moved closer, they came across three dismembered bodies near what appeared to be an abandoned encampment. Tragically, just as they approached, an underground device detonated, injuring the soldiers involved.

Trevilla attributed the explosion to the United Cartels, a coalition encompassing the local gang known as Viagras, which has long been engaged in violent turf conflicts with the Jalisco cartel in Michoacan. Earlier this year, the Mexican army had acknowledged instances where soldiers were killed by drones dropping bombs, which are operated by drug cartels.

Officials have previously indicated that the army faces a greater number of threats from roadside bombs compared to those from drone attacks. The ongoing conflict between the Jalisco drug cartel and local gangs has escalated over the years, leading both sides to employ various military-grade tactics, including the use of IEDs, trenches, fortified positions, homemade armored vehicles, and sniper rifles.

In an earlier report detailing cartel bombings from August 2023, the defense department noted that 42 soldiers, police officers, and criminal suspects had been injured by IEDs in the first seven months of that year, a significant increase from the 16 reported incidents in the entirety of 2022.