The authorities of Ecuador announced the death of 9 people as a result of an attack by a group of armed men on fishermen in a port in the north of the country.
Ecuadorian Interior Minister Juan Zapata told local television on Tuesday that the attack was carried out by a group of about 30 armed men linked to criminal gangs.
He added that the attackers, who attacked the fishermen in the Esmeraldas region near the border with Colombia, arrived at the scene in two boats and several vehicles.
He explained that the attack is part of a struggle between armed gangs for influence in the region and is revenge on the fishermen who chose to submit to the “protection” of one gang instead of another.
The minister indicated that between 1,500 and 2,000 people were in the port at the time of the attack.
It is worth noting that in the province of Esmeraldas, Ecuador, a state of emergency has been declared since March 3 due to the increase in violence and crime.
Source: AFP.