At least 86 people have been killed by the drug mafia in Mexico over the past few days, the local Excelsior newspaper has said.

Most of the killings took place on Friday and Saturday in the state of Chihuahua bordering with the U.S. Thirty-four people were killed in the city of Ciudad Juarez, and 18 in the state's capital, Chihuahua.

Other killings took place in the U.S.-bordering Sonora and Baja California states, the northwestern Sinaloa state, the central Durango, Guanajuato and Mexico states, and the southern Guerrero state.

In mid-December, Arturo Beltran Leyva, leader of a country's key drug cartel, was killed by police during a shootout. Mexico's drug kingpins then vowed to take revenge for Leyva's death.

The country has been the main transshipment point for drug trafficking from Latin America to the U.S., with the estimated annual supplies of around $40 billion.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon declared a fight against drug trafficking in the country after taking power in 2006. Some 45,000 servicemen have been involved in anti-drug operations at the border between Mexico and the U.S.

According to the Excelsior paper, a total of 189 people have been killed in the country by drug mafia since the start in the year. More than 15,000 people have been killed in drug-related clashes in Mexico since Calderon came to power.

In his New Year's speech, the Mexican leader said fighting drug criminality in the country was a Mexican government's top priority for 2010.

MEXICO CITY, January 10 (RIA Novosti)