An armed forces armored vehicle drives outside the Litoral Penitentiary where a riot broke out that so far has left 5 prisoners dead, according to authorities, in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Sunday, July 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Cesar Munoz)
QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — The mayor of Ecuador's third largest city was slain Sunday in a shooting that killed one other person and wounded four more, including two suspected attackers, officials said.
AgustÃn Intriago, a 38-year-old lawyer, belonged to the local Better City movement in the port city of Manta and was recently re-elected to a term that began in May.
On his Twitter account, Interior Minister Juan Zapata reported Intriago's slaying and the other casualties. He said the two wounded people suspected of being involved in the attack were receiving medical attention under police surveillance.
A motive for the attack, which occurred while the mayor was making a neighborhood visit, was not immediately disclosed.
President Guillermo Lasso wrote on Twitter that he had instructed the country's highest police authority to locate those responsible. Police reported that specialized units were deployed at the scene.
The victim’s sister, Ana Intriago, wrote on her Twitter account that “this crime cannot go unpunished. ... Let’s not let them win.â€
Manta is about 260 kilometers (160 miles) southwest of Ecuador's capital, Quito, on a section of Pacific coast used by gangs to move large shipments of drugs to other parts of the Americas and Europe.
Ecuador is gripped by a serious outbreak of violence that authorities attribute to disputes among organized crime groups. The government is also grappling with a surge in crime that includes armed attacks, kidnappings, robberies and extortion.
Authorities also said Sunday that a battle between rival gang members held in a prison in Guayaquil had resulted in the five inmates being killed and 11 wounded.
The clashes erupted in the Litoral prison Saturday afternoon and escalted into the early hours of Sunday, with the sound of gunshots and explosions heard by people in nearby residential areas.
Litoral is considered one of the most dangerous prisons in Ecuador, with its worst incident a gang battle in 2021 that saw 119 inmates slain. This past April, a riot at the prison killed 12 inmates and injured three.
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