MEXICO CITY - Authorities in the northern Mexico state of Chihuahua say an army patrol was attacked by gunfire, setting off a shootout that killed seven armed men in their 20s.

The state prosecutor's office says the shootout occurred Saturday afternoon in the remote town of La Grulla in western Chihuahua.

In a Sunday statement, prosecutors say 15 soldiers riding in two vehicles took fire in rugged terrain. It says rifles and a pistol, as well as bullet-proof vests, were recovered at the scene.

The statement doesn't say if any soldiers were wounded.