Eight people were killed in a shooting attack at a bar in Ecuador, according to local police

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — A shooting during a birthday party at a bar in Ecuador left eight people dead Saturday, police said, as the country experiences an escalating wave of gang violence.

It was unclear whether the attack in the coastal province of Santa Elena was aimed at the person holding the celebration.

Local police said the attackers arrived in a taxi and two motorcycles. They opened fire on the bar in the town of Chanduy, 300 kilometers southwest of Quito. Some of the victims were found outside the bar.

The victims included five men and three women, and none of the victims had a criminal record, police said. Santa Elena has become one of the most violent regions in Ecuador, partly because it has three ports. Seaports are often used for drug smuggling.

Local gangs, some of which work with Mexican cartels, have led to a significant increase in homicides in recent years.

There have been at least 7,600 murders in Ecuador in 2023, up from about 4,400 in 2022. There have been about 1,875 murders in Ecuador so far this year.