Ecuador’s National Police reported Wednesday that a total of 70 people have been arrested so far in the country amid the severe crisis of violence unleashed in recent days by the activity of narco-terrorist groups.

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The arrests are part of the “preliminary operational results following several interventions carried out nationwide in response to attacks and acts of terrorism,” the National Police said in a statement on the X social network. 

According to the report, three policemen were released after being kidnapped on Monday in the city of Machala, in the province of El Oro, while 17 prisoners who had escaped from a jail in the city of Riobamba were recaptured.

It was also reported the control by agents of eight explosive devices and 15 Molotov cocktails intended to be used in attacks, as well as the seizure of nine firearms, 308 cartridges, six motorcycles and six vehicles.

The tweet reads, “The 70 people arrested for the attacks of January 8 and 9 will be prosecuted for terrorism. In addition, violence has left 8 people dead in Guayaquil and 3 in Esmeraldas. In Ambato, an organization was dismantled with the arrest of 17 people.”

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa declared on Tuesday an internal armed conflict in the South American country. He said that “we are in a state of war, and we cannot give in to terrorist groups.”

The decree orders the deployment and intervention of the Armed Forces to neutralize 22 transnational organized crime groups, identified as terrorist organizations and belligerent non-state actors. The Police and the Armed Forces maintain the operational deployment of more than 3,000 agents in the streets of the country. 

Since last Monday, Ecuador has been facing a surge of violence despite the state of emergency and curfew in force in the country.

There have been riots and mutinies in several prisons, with jailers being held and inmates escaping. It was also reported that armed criminals took over the TC Television channel in Guayaquil.

State of chaos with police kidnappings, fires, explosions of several vehicles, explosives against institutions and residences and armed attacks affect several cities. There have also been reports of suspected criminals assaulting hospitals and universities.

Terrorist acts in recent days have claimed the lives of at least 14 people. According to Víctor Herrera, police commander in Zone 8, which includes the Guayaquil, Durán and Samborondón cantons of Guayas, the number of intentional homicides registered during these days of emergency in the country increased to 14, four of them happened during terrorist acts.

Official data from the authorities indicates that two police officers were among the dead. They are Corporals Alex Taday and Luis Guanotuña, who were shot by criminals, reported the police. 

It also said that eight deaths occurred in different incidents in the city of Guayaquil, the most violent, and two in the town of Nobol, in the province of Guayas. 

Violence has stepped up in Guayaquil following the escape of Jose Adolfo Macias, alias ‘Fito,’ leader of the criminal organization ‘Los Choneros,’ from the province’s most important prison.

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