Arrests over deadly Guatemala village feud

Five people have been arrested over a conflict in a Guatemalan village in which 11 people were gunned down by neighbours.

Guatemalan police have arrested five people over a conflict in an indigenous village where residents turned guns on their neighbours, killing 11 people.

The fighting broke out at the weekend when gunmen opened fire on residents opposed to plans to build a road and cement plant in the village of San Juan Sacatepequez.

The project has divided the community, where some have been forced to leave their homes to make way for construction while others work for the cement company or have sold land for the road.

The victims included six members of a single family.

Houses and vehicles were also burned during the violence.

The men arrested on Wednesday were three brothers aged between 25 and 31, and their 51-year-old cousin, police said.

Details on the fifth person were not released.

The charges against them include murder, attempted murder and aggravated arson, police spokesman Pablo Castillo said.

Authorities have sent 1200 extra police and 1000 soldiers to restore order in the village, which is located about 30km west of the capital Guatemala City.

Local officials have banned protests and the carrying of firearms for 15 days.

The cement project, scheduled for completion in 2017, was launched last year by Guatemalan firm Cementos Progreso with a $US720-million ($A779 million) investment.


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