Buenos Aires, 10 January 2024 (dpa/MIA) - Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa has sent the armed forces into battle against the South American country's powerful gangs.

The soldiers are to carry out military operations against around 20 criminal organizations, according to a decree published on Tuesday.

"All of these groups are now military targets," military chief Jaime Vela said.

Shortly beforehand, gunmen had broken into the premises of the state television station TC Televisión in the harbour city of Guayaquil during a live broadcast and taken several journalists and employees hostage.

Shots and screams could be heard in the broadcast.

Special police units later brought the television station back under control and arrested 13 suspects. Police said they had seized weapons and explosives and charged those detained with terrorism.

Local media reported that soldiers in armoured vehicles patrolled the historic centre of the capital Quito. All schools will stay closed until the end of the week.

The government declared a state of emergency on Monday, after criminal gangs fought fierce battles in the prisons and took guards hostage.

The leaders of two powerful gangs managed to escape, according to the prison administration.

The security situation in Ecuador had recently deteriorated dramatically. The murder rate of around 46.5 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants last year was the highest in the history of the country and one of the highest in Latin America.

Presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, who promised to fight corruption, was shot dead after an election rally in August last year.

Several gangs with links to powerful Mexican cartels are fighting for control of the drug trafficking routes, which pass through Ecuador.