A deadly shooting in the northwestern Ecuadorian province of Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas claimed seven lives, according to local media reports.
The attack took place on Sunday evening when several armed men dressed in black stormed into a billiard hall in Santo Domingo, the provincial capital, and opened fire on those inside. Police later cordoned off the crime scene.
Preliminary investigations revealed that among the victims were a retired police officer and a suspected gang leader known by the alias "Rasta."
Santo Domingo, located strategically between the Andes and the Pacific coast, has become a hotspot for violent gang conflicts due to its position on key drug trafficking routes.
This incident follows a similar outbreak of violence in June, when at least eight people were gunned down in Ecuador&rsquo;s southwestern city of Guayaquil. The attack occurred in the Pascuales district along the Daule highway, with victims shot near an industrial zone as vendors began their workday. Reports said five of those killed were motorcycle taxi drivers.
Authorities linked the surge in killings to recent seizures of assault rifles and ongoing turf wars between criminal groups. Guayaquil, considered one of Ecuador&rsquo;s most violent cities, has witnessed multiple fatal shootings in recent weeks, including the murder of four men inside a home and the killing of a couple after they dropped off their children at school.
The city has been under a state of emergency since April as the government struggles to contain what it describes as a "grave internal disturbance." [Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed]

Seven killed in Ecuador billiard hall shooting

Gunmen stormed a billiard hall in Santo Domingo, killing seven amid rising gang violence

Seven killed in Ecuador billiard hall shooting

Gunmen stormed a billiard hall in Santo Domingo, killing seven amid rising gang violence

August 18, 2025 | 19:32 IST