Wave of Violence in Ecuador: A Grim Battle for Territory

A criminal gang shooting at a pool hall in Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, Ecuador left seven people dead and four injured, linked to a territorial dispute. This marks the second such attack within a month amidst ongoing violence attributed to organized crime affiliated with Mexican and Colombian cartels.

In a chilling act of violence, a criminal gang opened fire at a pool hall in northern Ecuador's Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, claiming at least seven lives and injuring four others, according to police reports on Saturday.

This latest attack marks the second such occurrence in less than a month, highlighting a wave of violence in the Andean nation. Authorities attribute the incident to escalating territorial disputes among criminal gangs, with the latest attack linked to criminal operatives with histories in drug trafficking, murder, and theft.

Images broadcast by local media depict armed assailants in vests and caps, orchestrating the attack and fleeing in a vehicle later found ablaze elsewhere in the city. President Daniel Noboa has declared a state of internal armed conflict, categorizing 22 criminal organizations as terrorist groups this year, as homicide rates surpass previous records.