QUITO, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- At least one person was killed and two others injured in a car bomb attack Wednesday in Ecuador's southern coastal province of El Oro, the National Police said.
According to police, the attack occurred in the Los Laureles sector of Pasaje canton in the early hours of the morning and involved three explosions that alarmed local residents.
Following the attack, authorities cordoned off the area to protect nearby neighbors and preserve the scene.
Renato Gonzalez, police commander for Zone 7 in El Oro, told local media the blasts occurred after a vehicle carrying suspected explosives was parked in front of a home. The subsequent detonation damaged the house and nearby vehicles.
Gonzales said that the attack appeared to have targeted the homes of relatives of a suspected criminal known as "Nando," adding that authorities are investigating whether the incident was linked to a dispute between criminal groups.
The attack came after the government declared a new state of exception to address escalating violence in eight provinces, including El Oro, where a curfew from midnight to 5 a.m. is set to take effect Thursday. ■
