A group of armed men stormed a hospital in the northern Ecuadorian town of Chone, in an apparent settling of scores that ended without casualties after the intervention of the police, who managed to free several people held hostage.
The Government reported that seven «heavily armed» men burst into the Napoleon Davila hospital at around 20.00 (local time) on Sunday. They intended to kill a criminal identified by the alias ‘Dirty Face’.
Interior Minister Juan Zapata explained in a statement that the security forces, «without a single shot», managed to stop the attack and «subdue» the criminals, according to the Ecuadorian newspaper ‘El Universo’.
Both the minister and Ecuador’s president, Guillermo Lasso, have applauded the «remarkable work» of the police. «These are our forces of order: ready to defend the citizens. Situation under control,» Lasso noted on Twitter.
The province of Manabí borders the province of Esmeraldas, one of the four that remain under a state of emergency following the growing wave of violence in several parts of Ecuador. Lasso’s government has defended its commitment to combat violence, including inside prisons.
