Police, prisoners wounded in fresh clash at riot-hit Ecuador prison

By Sinan Dogan

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - At least one police officer and four prisoners were injured during a security operation at an Ecuadorian prison on Saturday, police and local media said.

Elite police teams entered the Litoral prison in Guayaquil after a new clash between prisoners. At least 118 people were killed in a riot between rival gangs just days earlier in the prison, and the operation is underway to regain its full control.

Police said arms, ammunition and cell phones were also seized during the operation.

The government has declared a 60-day state of emergency across Ecuador's prisons to prevent further clashes, and allow searches and other surveillance measures.

Bolivar Garzon, the director of Ecuador's prison agency SNAI, said in a press conference on Friday that 2,000 elderly, disabled and terminally ill prisoners will be pardoned and prison infrastructure will be built nationwide to reduce overcrowding.

Ecuador is suffering a wave of violence at its prisons. As many as 79 people were killed in February and 22 in July.