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MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Mexican President Felipe Calderon is asking citizens to support the fight against drug violence.

Calderon's televised message to the nation last night came just hours after troops killed 15 suspected gang members in the colonial town of Taxco, which is popular with foreign visitors.

June is headed toward being the deadliest month yet in Mexico's drug war.

Calderon urged Mexicans to report criminals to authorities and help defeat the brutal drug cartels. A phone number for anonymous tips flashed on the screen as he spoke.

Calderon says, "This is a battle that is worth fighting because our future is at stake."

The crackdown on drug cartels has seen more than 23,000 people killed since late 2006 when thousands of troops and federal police were deployed to drug hot spots. Mexican officials attribute much of the bloodshed to turf battles between drug cartels, but the gangs are increasingly turning to attacks on police and prosecutors.

(Copyright ©2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)