Mexico City, July 1 (teleSUR-RHC)-- The United Nations human rights office has urged the Mexican government to extend their investigations into the killing of 22 people at the hands of its military last year.

In a press release on Tuesday, the spokeswoman for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Nations Cecile Pouilly argued that although an officer and six soldiers await trial, Mexican authorities must continue their inquiries into the killings.

The death of 22 people last year took place in a military operation against an alleged group of armed civilians in the village of Cuadrilla Nueva, Tlataya, located in the State of Mexico. Three women survived the incident and subsequently suffered various human rights abuses, including arbitrary detention and torture, according to the UN.

The Attorney General's Office recently revealed that, according to its research, 11 victims were "practically shot to death," while five died doing "instinctive defensive maneuvers." Similarly, the National Human Rights Commission of Mexico, which classified the killings as a case of serious human rights violations, established that 15 people were killed by soldiers after they had already surrendered.

“A year after the killing of 22 people during an operation by military forces, reportedly against a criminal gang, in Tlatlaya, in the State of Mexico, we continue to call for justice and redress for the victims,” said Pouilly.

The UN spokeswoman suggested that further investigations should include "the civil and military authorities who might have been responsible for the alleged extrajudicial executions and human rights violations." She added that, “investigating such cases and bringing those responsible to justice is the best way to guarantee that such violations do not happen again.”