Ecuador’s president gave orders Tuesday to “neutralise” criminal gangs after gunmen opened fire in a TV studio and bandits threatened random executions on a second day of terror in the violence-riddled country, Paralel.Az reports citing SCMP.

At least 10 people have been killed in a series of attacks blamed on gangs as the country exploded in what President Daniel Noboa called an “internal armed conflict”.

He gave orders to target criminal gangs after gangsters declared war following the prison escape Sunday of one of Ecuador’s most powerful narco bosses.

Eight people were killed and three were wounded in attacks in the port city of Guayaquil, and two officers were “viciously murdered by armed criminals” in the nearby town of Nobol, police said Tuesday evening.