Armed men in military uniforms Monday broke into a rural property in western Ecuador, killing at least seven people, police said. It was the latest in a wave of drug-related violence that has led to soaring homicide rates in the South American nation.
Ecuadorian police said the attack took place early in the morning when a dozen people disguised as soldiers and carrying weapons stormed a seaside property in Manabi and riddled the victims with bullets, including three adult brothers.
Ecuador’s homicide rate has quintupled since 2020, with the South American nation registering its highest homicide rate in recent history last year — when there were 50 homicides per every 100,000 residents, according to the Interior Ministry.
