Squatters attacked in northern Peru

The attackers were armed with guns and machetes

Ferocious fighting between sugar plantation workers and squatters in northern Peru has left at least 11 people dead and 20 injured.

A battle began on Tuesday morning when some 300 workers armed with guns and machetes moved to eject 40 people squatting on unplanted land at the Cayalti sugar mill, 780 kilometres (468 miles) north of Lima.

Strangely, the police failed to arrive to control the clash

Yehude Simon
regional president

The president of the surrounding Lamabayeque region, Yehude Simon, said that as many as 15 people had died and he asked why police had not intervened immediately.

As images of the survivors and grieving relatives were shown on Peruvian television, President Alejandro Toledo said he regretted the incident but said private property must be respected.

The giant Cayalti mill, one of 10 "sugar co-operatives" in Peru, has been closed for two years and the squatters had moved onto fallow land.

According to Mr Simon, they were occupying 346 acres (140 hectares) of the 12,350-acre (5,000-hectare) plantation.

"Some 40 squatters and 300 sugar workers fought with machetes and guns firing lead pellets in a pitched battle... and, strangely, the police failed to arrive to control the clash," he said.

Another regional official, presidential adviser Ruben Trujillo, said that a police colonel had gone to the area with 50 officers to restore order.

A police commander contacted by The Associated Press, Captain Reynaldo Faggiani, said that most of the dead had suffered head wounds.