In an attack on a bar, gunmen in Ecuador have killed at least 17 people, including a child, which highlights the country’s struggles with rising violent crime.
More than 40 pieces of ballistic evidence were recovered from the bar in El Empalme, which is located about 160 kilometers [100 miles] north of Guayaquil in the coastal province of Guayas, according to the country’s attorney general on Monday.
Body pools and pools of blood are visible in images shared by Ecuadorian media.
Over the past few years, violent crime in Ecuador has risen dramatically, according to experts, due to conflicting interests over territory and lucrative drug routes.
In an attack that left at least 11 people injured, according to police, with reports claiming that groups of gunmen in two trucks opened fire on the bar with pistols and rifles on Sunday night.
Before collapsing in the street and dying from his injuries, the attack’s only minor hit extended more than a kilometer.
According to the AFP news agency, the trucks reportedly shot and killed two more people at a different location while the men chanted “Active Wolves”! during the bar attack.
El Empalme police chief Oscar Valencia speculated that the term might refer to the criminal organization Los Lobos, which fights for control of extortion, kidnapping, and illegal mining operations against Los Choneros, a rival group.
In order to combat crime, Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa has advocated for more executive and security roles, policies that have mostly received public support despite concerns about potential abuses.
Source: Aljazeera
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