15 dead in Ecuadorian prison clashes

QUITO:At least 15 inmates were killed and 14 others wounded in clashes between inmates at Ecuador's largest prison, the national prison administration agency SNAI said.

The violence broke out early Tuesday morning at a wing of the Litoral Penitentiary in the southwest city of Guayaquil, the agency said in a statement.

"The security bloc (comprised of the police and armed forces) took immediate action to take full control of the facilities and activate a large-scale search operation," it said, adding an investigation is underway into the bloodshed.

The Litoral Penitentiary has seen frequent clashes between inmates linked to organized crime and drug trafficking groups.

Since February 2021, more than 400 inmates have been killed in such incidents, according to official statistics.

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