At least five Ecuadorian police officers were killed on Tuesday in explosive attacks in response to prisoner transfers from overcrowded penitentiaries, prompting President Guillermo Lasso to declare a state of emergency in two provinces.
(File photo: Xinhua)
The attacks overnight and early on Tuesday morning, including nine explosions in two cities, were an "open declaration of war by gangs," Lasso said in a video address.
He declared a state of emergency in Guayas and Esmeraldas provinces, where security forces will intensify operations and a curfew will comea into force from 9 pm local time.
