Armed attack kills 10 in Ecuador port city of Guayaquil
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Ecuadorian police officers inspect a workshop after a multiple murder that left 10 dead in downtown Guayaquil.
PHOTO: AFP
Follow topic:
GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador - An armed attack has killed 10 people in the Ecuadorean port city of Guayaquil, the public prosecutor’s office of Ecuador and police reported on Sunday.
Three people were wounded, including a five-year-old girl, police said.
A rifle and 9-millimeter caliber guns were found at the scene, the Ecuadorean Prosecutor’s Office posted on its Twitter account.
“We believe that this has to do with a struggle between organised criminal groups over the fight for territorial control,” National Police Commander William Villaroel told a news conference.
“At the moment, our investigation and intelligence units are carrying out operational actions in order to identify those responsible,” the National Police tweeted earlier on Sunday.
There were no immediate arrests.
The Ecuadorean government declared a state of emergency in early April
The measure includes a curfew from 1am until 5am.
The South American country recently authorised civilians to carry and use guns for personal defence amid an increase in crime that the government has blamed on drug trafficking gangs. REUTERS
