Three people were killed and six others injured in a car bomb explosion near a police station in the city of Coahuayana in Mexico’s western state of Michoacán, according to federal and local authorities.

The blast occurred on a main street near the police compound, prompting the Attorney General’s Office to open an investigation into the nature of the operation and potential groups behind it.

Michoacán has seen a surge in violence in recent years linked to organized crime and armed groups.