"Tactical units of the national police and armed forces activated security protocols and regained control after clashes between members of organized crime groups R7 and Los Lobos in Men's Detention Center №3 in Guayas... After the incident, an injured inmate was hospitalized. Three dead inmates were also found," SNAI said in a statement on Twitter.
According to local media, clashes with the use of firearms broke out at La Roca maximum security prison, where a total of 20 people were detained.
Violent armed clashes between prisoners are not uncommon in Ecuador, where, in less than two years, over 400 inmates have died as a result of conflicts between prison gangs, police, and the army.
In October 2022, Ecuador's government started moving inmates between prisons in a major overhaul aimed at separating leaders from gangs, as deadly gang clashes in prisons frequented in recent years. The measure was followed by a series of terrorist attacks and attacks on police patrols by crime groups in cities across the country. Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso then declared a state of emergency in two provinces.