What's happening in Ecuador?

(AP Photo/Xavier Caivinagua) QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Ecuador’s fragile security situation was underscored Thursday by a series of car bombings and the hostage-taking of more than 50 law enforcement officers inside various prisons, just weeks after the country was shaken by the assassination of a presidential candidate.

Did criminal groups in Ecuador use explosives to damage a bridge?

(AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa) Criminal groups in Ecuador used explosives Friday to damage a bridge, authorities said, demonstrating their grip on the South American country where prison inmates took dozens of law enforcement officers hostage less than two days earlier.

What happened at a prison office in Ecuador?

The suspects have a record of extortion, robbery and murder, he said. A second vehicle that contained two cylinders of petrol and a slow fuse also exploded nearby at an office of Ecuador’s prisons agency, police said on Thursday morning. Firefighters on August 31, 2023, carry the remains of a car that exploded in Quito [Karen Toro/Reuters]

What happened in Ecuador in the last 24 hours?

In the last 24 hours, Ecuador has been rocked by the explosions of four car bombs and the hostage-taking of more than 50 law enforcement officers inside various detention facilities. (AP Photo/Xavier Caivinagua)

Did a car explode in Quito 2023?

Firefighters on August 31, 2023, carry the remains of a car that exploded in Quito [Karen Toro/Reuters] It caused “destruction of the vehicle and damage to the exterior” of the building, but no injuries were reported.

What happened in Quito Ecuador?

[1/4]Firefighters work on the remains of a car, that according to authorities was loaded with two gas tanks and later exploded when suspects set it on fire, seemingly targeting Ecuador's prison agency SNAI, in Quito, Ecuador. REUTERS/Karen Toro Acquire Licensing Rights