A group of armed men stormed a public television station in Ecuador during a live broadcast on Tuesday.
Men wearing hoods and holding pistols forced personnel onto the floor at the TC Television network in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and shouted that they had bombs, according to the Associated Press and BBC. Gunshot noises were heard in the background before the live feed cut out after 15 minutes.
It’s unclear whether any station staff were injured during the attack.
Alina Manrique, TC Television’s head of news, said she was in the control room when the armed men entered the building, AP reported. She added that someone pointed a gun to her head while demanding she get on the floor.
“This is an act that should be considered as a terrorist act,” Ecuador’s national police Chief César Zapata told TV channel Teleamazonas.
He said that officers arrested all the intruders and seized all weapons and explosives shortly after the stormed the building. He did not clarify how many people were arrested but images shared by the national police department showed around 10 people handcuffed on the ground.
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Ecuador President declares an internal armed conflict after incident
After the storming of the station, President Daniel Noboa signed an emergency executive order declaring an internal armed conflict. He listed several organized crime groups, which the order refers to as “terrorist organizations” and “non-state actors.”
Noboa declared a national 60-day state of emergency on Monday after convicted gang leader Adolfo Macías, also known as “Fito,” escaped from a maximum security jail in in Guayaquil. Gang members have kidnapped at least seven police officers since the the state of emergency was declared, the BBC reported.
“These narcoterrorist groups try to intimidate us and believe that we will give in to their demands,” Noboa said in a video on social media. “We are not going to negotiate with terrorists nor will we rest until we return peace to all Ecuadorians.”
Nearly 40 more inmates escaped from a different prison in Riobamba early Tuesday, according to the BBC. The president wrote on Instagram that he won’t rest until the crimes inside prisons are addressed.
Los Choneros gang leader Adolfo Macías was scheduled for transfer
Macías disappeared from his cell on Sunday when he was scheduled to be transferred to another maximum security facility in Guayaquil, Zapata told reporters.
The leader of the Los Choneros gang was convicted of murder, drug trafficking, and organized crime. He was serving a 34-year prison sentence before his escape.
Officials have not yet found Macías and his means for escape remain unclear. Two prison officials have been charged for their alleged involvement in the escape, Ecuador’s Prosecutor’s Office said on Monday.
