Gunmen kill 23 in bus attack in Honduras

At least four men in two cars forced the bus to the side of the road and opened fire on it with assault rifles.

"Sixteen people died at the scene of the attack, and seven more died in hospital," police official Wilmer Torres told Reuters. "As well, there are at least 10 wounded."

Most of the passengers were returning home from work in Honduras' second largest city. Four of the dead were children, Torres said.

The gunmen, armed with M-16 and AK-47 military rifles, left a message written on cardboard at the scene, challenging the president and leading politicians who have taken a tough stance against organized crime.

"This is a threat not against me or (Security Minister) Oscar Alvarez or (Defense Minister) Federico Breve, but against all Hondurans," said President Ricardo Maduro.