68 killed in Ecuador prison clashes

At least 68 people were killed during clashes at the Litoral Penitentiary in the Ecuadorian city of Guayaquil, the State Attorney General's Office has confirmed.
The clashes occurred on Friday night and early on Saturday which also left 12 others injured, Xinhua news agency reported.

The incident took place in pavilion 2 of the prison, which houses some 700 inmates and included explosions, the use of knives, and the burning of mattresses.

The police said that the clashes were the result of a power struggle between groups linked to drug trafficking.

President Guillermo Lasso announced that he has convened a security committee to analyze the situation.

Clashes between rival gangs are frequent in Ecuadorian prisons and have caused more than 300 deaths so far this year, according to police reports.

The Litoral Penitentiary in Guayaquil was the scene of another revolt on September 29 in which 118 prisoners died.


It is considered the worst prison riot to have occurred in the country's history.

This event led the President to decree a state of emergency for 60 days in the country's prison system to stop the wave of violence.- IANS