SANTO DOMINGO DE LOS TSACHILAS, Ecuador — A shooting by a criminal gang at a pool hall late Friday killed at least seven people and wounded four others in the city of Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, police said Saturday, marking the second similar attack there in less than a month.
Local police commander Col. Olga Benavides said authorities believe the attack was linked to a “territorial dispute” between criminal groups. The city is about 130 kilometers (80 miles) west of the capital, Quito.
Images shared by local media showed several men dressed in black, wearing vests and caps, arriving at the establishment and opening fire. A vehicle believed to have been used by the attackers was later found burned in another part of the city, Benavides said.
A police report said one of those killed and two of the wounded had criminal records that included drug trafficking, criminal association, murder and theft. Authorities did not immediately release the identities of the victims or suspects.
The attack on Friday follows a similar massacre on Aug. 17 in Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, when seven people were also killed at a pool hall. The incidents have occurred amid a broader surge in violence in Ecuador that authorities attribute to the expansion of organized crime groups linked to Mexican and Colombian drug cartels.
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa declared the country to be in a state of internal armed conflict and in January 2024 designated 22 criminal organizations as "terrorist" groups. Despite those measures and expanded security operations, violence has persisted.
Official figures show more than 5,500 homicides were recorded in Ecuador between January and July 2025, surpassing the 3,697 homicides reported in the same period of 2024. Security analysts and officials have warned that competition among trafficking networks and prison gang structures has driven much of the recent bloodshed.
Authorities in Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas said investigations were under way to identify and locate those responsible. Local and national security forces have repeatedly conducted raids and operations in the province in recent months, but officials acknowledge that the presence of well-armed groups and the mobility of suspects complicate efforts to stem the violence.
The government has not announced any immediate new nationwide measures in response to Friday’s shooting. Investigators asked anyone with information or footage from the scene to come forward to assist in identifying the attackers.