Masked gunmen burst onto the set of a live broadcast by a public TV channel in Ecuador on Tuesday.  

The men broke into studios of the TC Television network in the port city of Guayaquil, shouting that they had “bombs.” Noises similar to gunshots could be heard.

It comes a day after Ecuador’s new president declared a 60-day state of emergency following the apparent escape of a top drug gang leader from prison.

Ecuador saw a spate of nationwide attacks within hours of Noboa’s Monday announcement, including one in which gangsters took several police officers hostage.

After abducting the officers, criminals released a chilling video in which one was forced to read out a message addressed to the president.

“You declared war, you will get war,” the terrified officer read. “You declared a state of emergency. We declare police, civilians and soldiers to be the spoils of war.”

President Daniel Noboa was elected on the promise of tackling soaring levels of violence and crime in the country — and that during an election that saw fellow candidate Fernando Villavicencio, an anti-corruption centrist, assassinated at a campaign rally.

Suspects charged with terrorism

Police quickly stormed the studio and took control of the situation.

Ecuador’s national police chief, Cesar Zapata, later announced that those behind the attack had been arrested. 

He said guns and explosives had been seized in what “should be considered a terrorist act.”

Ecuador’s attorney general’s office said 13 people were arrested and would be charged with terrorism.

What happened in the TV studio?

Armed men wearing balaclavas stormed the studio live on air, firing shots and demanding people lie on the floor. Several people are being held hostage.

“Don’t shoot, please don’t shoot,” one woman was heard shouting as gunshots rang out.

“Please, they came in to kill us. God don’t let this happen. The criminals are on air,” a journalist wrote to news agency AFP in a WhatsApp message.

Journalist Adriana Noboa Arregui in Quito told DW that she had received information that the hostages had been released and that injured people had been taken to hospital.  

“We haven’t had real security for the past two or three years,” Arregui told DW. “The violence is getting worse and since last night, it has been chaos everywhere.”

Arregui said the president had “declared war on gangs” and was trying to regain control of the prison system. “But that is going to be hard because the gangs have control now,” she said. 

js/rt, lo (AP, Reuters, AFP)