02:25The Ecuadorian Armed Forces bolstered security outside educational institutions in the neighbourhood of Duran, a coastal city in Guayas Province, which it said was in response to escalating threats from drug trafficking and other criminal gangs
Footage captured on Tuesday shows military personnel patrolling near the Santiago Redwood School, with soldiers armed and stationed outside the facility. Parents were seen escorting their children to school.
"We are conducting operations to control ammunition, weapons, and explosives in the vicinity of the Santiago Wood educational unit," said a member of the military. "Duran is a high-risk canton. We have made the decision, as the Armed Forces, to reinforce the security of the staff, children, and parents who work and live near this area."
The threat of violence has heightened in recent months with the region seeing bomb threats targeting various schools.
In 2023, Duran was reported to be the city with the world's highest homicide rate, skyrocketing from 3.8 to 148 recorded instances per 100,000 inhabitants between 2017 and 2023. Drug trafficking gangs are said to be active in the county due to its proximity to the ports of Guayaquil and Posorja.
In January, President Daniel Noboa declared an 'internal armed conflict' against 22 criminal gangs and imposed a state of emergency, deploying the military across the country. The crackdown comes ahead of the Ecuadorian general elections in 2025.
'High-risk area' with 'ammunition, weapons, explosives' - Ecuadorian forces ramp up security around Duran's schools to tackle gang violence
The Ecuadorian Armed Forces bolstered security outside educational institutions in the neighbourhood of Duran, a coastal city in Guayas Province, which it said was in response to escalating threats from drug trafficking and other criminal gangs
Footage captured on Tuesday shows military personnel patrolling near the Santiago Redwood School, with soldiers armed and stationed outside the facility. Parents were seen escorting their children to school.
"We are conducting operations to control ammunition, weapons, and explosives in the vicinity of the Santiago Wood educational unit," said a member of the military. "Duran is a high-risk canton. We have made the decision, as the Armed Forces, to reinforce the security of the staff, children, and parents who work and live near this area."
The threat of violence has heightened in recent months with the region seeing bomb threats targeting various schools.
In 2023, Duran was reported to be the city with the world's highest homicide rate, skyrocketing from 3.8 to 148 recorded instances per 100,000 inhabitants between 2017 and 2023. Drug trafficking gangs are said to be active in the county due to its proximity to the ports of Guayaquil and Posorja.
In January, President Daniel Noboa declared an 'internal armed conflict' against 22 criminal gangs and imposed a state of emergency, deploying the military across the country. The crackdown comes ahead of the Ecuadorian general elections in 2025.
The Ecuadorian Armed Forces bolstered security outside educational institutions in the neighbourhood of Duran, a coastal city in Guayas Province, which it said was in response to escalating threats from drug trafficking and other criminal gangs
Footage captured on Tuesday shows military personnel patrolling near the Santiago Redwood School, with soldiers armed and stationed outside the facility. Parents were seen escorting their children to school.
"We are conducting operations to control ammunition, weapons, and explosives in the vicinity of the Santiago Wood educational unit," said a member of the military. "Duran is a high-risk canton. We have made the decision, as the Armed Forces, to reinforce the security of the staff, children, and parents who work and live near this area."
The threat of violence has heightened in recent months with the region seeing bomb threats targeting various schools.
In 2023, Duran was reported to be the city with the world's highest homicide rate, skyrocketing from 3.8 to 148 recorded instances per 100,000 inhabitants between 2017 and 2023. Drug trafficking gangs are said to be active in the county due to its proximity to the ports of Guayaquil and Posorja.
In January, President Daniel Noboa declared an 'internal armed conflict' against 22 criminal gangs and imposed a state of emergency, deploying the military across the country. The crackdown comes ahead of the Ecuadorian general elections in 2025.