Zacatecas judge orders 4 soldiers to stand trial in 7 deaths

A federal judge in Mexico has ordered that four soldiers be held for trial on charges including forced disappearance and murder related to the deaths of seven people.

The federal judiciary council said Friday in a statement that a judge in the central state of Zacatecas called for the four soldiers of the 97th Infantry Battalion to stand trial.

Seven civilians disappeared in the Zacatecas town of Calera on July 7. The following week, seven bodies were found elsewhere in the state. On July 19, the military announced that its investigation found indications that soldiers were involved in the disappearances.

The military's investigation started after residents of Calera filed complaints and mounted a public campaign blaming soldiers.