Mexican journalist covering security issues killed in Puebla

A Mexican journalist who focused on security issues was killed Thursday in a drive-by shooting in the central state of Puebla, the local government announced.

Josue Martinez was director of Noticias San Martin Texmelucan, where he covered security and major events in his area, the journalists' advocacy group Article 19 said. The group called for his death to be investigated, saying his work was the suspected motive.

The Puebla state government condemned the killing and urged prosecutors to open an investigation to find those responsible.

Local media reported that Martinez was shot near his home by two assailants on a motorcycle. He was near his son, who called police.

Martinez, sometimes known as "The Jaguar," trained as a lawyer before moving into journalism.

His killing follows the death of Roxana Guzman, the director of a local media outlet who had been kidnapped from her home in mid-June and was found dead in early July in the eastern state of Veracruz. The report said Veracruz has seen a number of crimes targeting journalists.

Mexico is among the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, with more than 150 media professionals killed there since 1994, according to Reporters Without Borders.