So far, the National Service for Comprehensive Care of Persons Deprived of Liberty (SNAI) has not issued an official statement on the incident.

There is a police presence outside the prison, and the surrounding streets are closed.

The riots apparently began around 2:00 a.m. (local time), when gunshots and explosions were heard outside the prison.

This morning, Forensic Medicine vehicles entered the prison, the digital portal Primicias reported, while the Ecuavisa channel reported that the violent events included the detonation of three explosive devices and the escape of a group of inmates.

Several prisons have been under military control since early last year, when Noboa declared an internal armed conflict against criminal gangs.

According to authorities, the riots and massacres inside the prisons are the result of disputes between gangs over control of these facilities and over drug trafficking within and outside the country.

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