Alert in Ecuador: 9 attacks with explosives are recorded in Guayaquil and Esmeraldas

The Minister of the Interior of EcuadorJuan Zapata, confirmed this Tuesday that nine attacks with explosives were registered in the coastal provinces of Guayas and Esmeraldas, and that two policemen died in one of them.

At a press conference, he stated that the two policemen “lost their lives at the hands of organized crime” when they attacked the patrol car in which they were traveling in the coastal city of Guayaquil (southwest).

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“We are on the trail of those responsible and we will not rest until we bring them under the orders of the competent authority”He said while indicating that in another case two other police officers were injured.

Zapata pointed out that “this year has been very sad and tragic for the national police (well) with these two cases we already add 61 police heroes fallen in acts of service”.

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According to the minister, in addition to those cases in which two police officers died and two others were injured, there were “six attacks with explosives in the city of Guayaquil and three in the city of Esmeraldas”.

Police officers inspect the scene after an attack with explosives against a Community Police Unit (UPC) post in Guamote, Guayaquil, Ecuador, on November 1, 2022. (Gerardo MENOSCAL / AFP)

Investigative Police inspect the scene of a car bomb attack at the Pascuales bus terminal in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on November 1, 2022. (MARCOS PIN / AFP)

The official made an appeal to all State institutions “because this war is not only of the National Police, of the National Government, this is a confrontation that the State has to respond to as a State.”

Y asked the community to join in a “civic crusade of national convergence. Today more than ever we need your support.”

The General Commander of the Police, Fausto Salinas, rejected in the press conferenceto “the vile and cowardly attacks” occurred at dawn and said that the acts of violence were evident from 11:00 p.m. on Monday and continued at dawn.

He indicated that At dawn there was an attempted mutiny of prisoners in the Esmeraldas prison in rejection of the transfer of inmates and seven prison officers were taken hostage, and were later released.

#1Nov #Ecuador @sanchezmendieta: This morning at least six car bomb attacks in #Guayaquil against Community Police Units (UPC), gas stations and the Pascuales Terminal. pic.twitter.com/eDMyw560df https://t.co/eDMyw560df https://t.co/eDMyw560df

– Report Now (@ReporteYa) November 1, 2022

The institution in charge of the prisons indicated that the transfers are carried out to avoid overcrowding in the prisons.

Salinas added that later there was the detonation of an explosive device on an avenue and another in a vehicle, while another was incinerated by four subjects.

Later, another car was incinerated and then several detonations were recorded around a police unit. Then two subjects threw an explosive device at a gas station, causing material damage.

Later, there was the detonation of an explosive device inside a vehicle and then antisocials, aboard a car, threw an explosive object outside a police unit.

Then there was the detonation of an explosive device inside a school vehicle, he added before indicating that crime will not intimidate the Police.

Source: Elcomercio