Police detain two men who threw grenade in northern Quito
Ecuador's police thwarted a grenade attack at the La Ofelia Land Terminal, hours after an explosive attack on the ARCOM.
Two detained after attempted grenade attack in Quito
Ecuador's police detained two people identified as Richar Joel C. C. and Jonathan David C. G. on Monday after both threw a grenade in the sector of the La Ofelia Land Terminal in northern Quito, according to infobae.com.
Officers detected the two suspects due to behaviour described as "unusual" and initiated a pursuit. During their flight, the men threw the explosive device in an attempt to evade police control. Subsequently, personnel detonated the grenade in a controlled manner, with no reported casualties.
The incident occurred hours after an explosive attack on the facilities of the Agency for Mining Regulation and Control (ARCOM) was recorded in the early morning of the same Monday, located in the north-centre of the capital. The explosion also caused material damage to nearby buildings, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG).
Police are maintaining an open investigation in relation to the attack on ARCOM, although to date it has not been established whether those responsible have links with any criminal group. There have been no arrests in that case.
Ecuador has been under a state of "internal armed conflict" since 2024, declared by president Daniel Noboa against organised crime gangs, which his government categorises as "terrorists" and associates principally with drug trafficking and illegal mining.
Source: Google News EC — Crime