Confusion and fear reign in the south-central Mexican city of Iguala, where 43 students went missing 10 days ago and are feared to be among the 28 victims found in a mass grave over the weekend.

Members of a drug gang have reportedly admitted to executing some of the missing students, but tearful parents in Iguala are still waiting for the government to confirm the link between the disappearance and the killings.

Two young men told FRANCE 24 that they saw local police detain and promptly shoot some of the students on the night of September 26, but the motivations for the attack remained hazy.

Police in Iguala, who are believed to be in league with gangs, have been disarmed by federal soldiers sent in to restore order.

But Iguala residents fear the arrival of the security forces will only lead to more violence in a Mexican region awash with drugs and guns.