QUITO, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- At least nine have been killed in two armed attacks in west Ecuador, local media reported Thursday.
Early Thursday morning, police confirmed the discovery of six male bodies aged 17-25, all piled together.
Local media reports indicated that some of the bodies were bound and showed gunshot wounds. Police have transported the bodies to a forensic center in the port city of Manta, Manabi.
On Wednesday night, three members of the same family were murdered in the city of Bahia de Caraquez, Sucre canton, Manabi.
Manabi, a key region for drug trafficking on Ecuador's Pacific coast, has seen rising violence in 2024, with numerous crimes linked to organized crime, police said.
In response, the government deployed police and military forces to target criminal groups in conflict zones. President Daniel Noboa declared an "internal armed conflict" in January against 22 criminal gangs labeled as "terrorist." ■
