Six dead in armed attack in Ecuadorian city

At least six people were killed and four injured in an armed attack on Thursday in Durán, one of the most dangerous cities in Ecuador, located in the coastal province of Guayas (southwest), which is under security control, local press reported.

The violent incident occurred inside a house in the 28 de Agosto cooperative, where armed men entered and fired multiple shots, according to witnesses.

Following the massacre, National Police personnel arrived at the scene to begin investigations, while forensic officers removed the bodies of the victims.

Relatives and neighbours took the injured to local health centres, but their health status is unknown.

Police have launched a search operation for the attackers, who are believed to have tried to hide in a cemetery during a police chase.

This new armed attack occurs at a time when Durán has been under the control of security forces since mid-July, who took over the area to combat criminal gangs that have caused an increase in violence and crime.

According to official statistics, Durán has recorded at least 270 violent deaths so far in 2024.

Two weeks ago, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa led security forces operations in Durán aimed at containing violence and reducing homicides.

The province of Guayas, along with five other provinces and a canton plagued by insecurity, have been in a state of emergency for 60 days since July 2.

Ecuador closed 2023 as one of the most dangerous countries in Latin America, with a homicide rate of 45 per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the Police. But the insecurity situation has not been brought under control in 2024. The country was also the most violent in Latin America last year. InSight Crime considered that Ecuador has had a too rapid decline in its security levels.

Guayaquil, Ecuador’s most populous city, was known until a few years ago as the pearl of the Pacific. Today, the Crisis Group, an organisation that works to prevent wars around the world, calls it the capital of crime due to its routine violence. At least 117,492 people were murdered in Latin America and the Caribbean during 2023, which means a homicide rate of 20 per 100,000 inhabitants. In Ecuador, 8,008 people died violently.