logo
At least 14 civilians killed in Ecuador attacks: Police

At least 14 civilians killed in Ecuador attacks: Police

Al Arabiya7 days ago
Police said at least 14 civilians were killed Sunday in two attacks in a coastal area of Ecuador, where drug trafficking gangs have been engaged in a violent struggle for control.
'We have approximately 12 people dead and three wounded,' Major Oscar Valencia, police chief of the southwestern town of El Empalme, told reporters, adding the attackers fired at another group near the site of the initial massacre, killing two more people.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

US confirms death of an American in West Bank; family blames Israeli settler arson
US confirms death of an American in West Bank; family blames Israeli settler arson

Al Arabiya

time2 hours ago

  • Al Arabiya

US confirms death of an American in West Bank; family blames Israeli settler arson

The US State Department on Sunday confirmed an American citizen had died this week in the West Bank, with family and Palestinian officials attributing his death to arson by Israeli settlers. The Palestinian Authority and witnesses reported on Thursday that Israeli settlers had set fire to homes and cars in the West Bank village of Silwad, the latest attack in the occupied territory. Khamis Ayyad, 41, died from smoke inhalation due to the fires, the Palestinian health ministry said. Speaking Friday at a press conference in Chicago, Ayyad's family said he had moved to the West Bank several years ago with his wife and children, but continued to work for an American company. He is at least the second American citizen killed in West Bank settler violence in July, after a 20-year-old man was beaten to death while visiting family in the town of Sinjil. Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, demanded Israel investigate that killing, calling it a 'criminal and terrorist act,' but has yet to comment on the death of Ayyad. Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said 'several suspects ... set fire to property and vehicles in the Silwad area,' but forces dispatched to the scene were unable to identify them. It added that Israeli police had launched an investigation. Asked for comment on the latest death, a State Department spokesperson said 'we can confirm the death of a US citizen in the town of Silwad in the West Bank,' without naming Ayyad. 'We condemn criminal violence by any party in the West Bank,' the spokesperson said, on condition of anonymity. The West Bank is home to some three million Palestinians, who live alongside about 500,000 Israeli settlers. Violence in the territory has surged throughout the Gaza war triggered by Hamas' October 2023 attack on Israel.

US Confirms Death of American in West Bank in Israeli Settler Attack
US Confirms Death of American in West Bank in Israeli Settler Attack

Asharq Al-Awsat

time3 hours ago

  • Asharq Al-Awsat

US Confirms Death of American in West Bank in Israeli Settler Attack

The US State Department on Sunday confirmed an American citizen had died this week in the West Bank, with family and Palestinian officials attributing his death to arson by Israeli settlers. The Palestinian Authority and witnesses reported on Thursday that Israeli settlers had set fire to homes and cars in the West Bank village of Silwad, the latest attack in the occupied territory. Khamis Ayyad, 41, died from smoke inhalation due to the fires, the Palestinian health ministry said. Speaking Friday at a press conference in Chicago, Ayyad's family said he had moved to the West Bank several years ago with his wife and children, but continued to work for an American company. He is at least the second American citizen killed in West Bank settler violence in July, after a 20-year-old man was beaten to death while visiting family in the town of Sinjil. Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, demanded Israel investigate that killing, calling it a "criminal and terrorist act," but has yet to comment on the death of Ayyad. Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said "several suspects... set fire to property and vehicles in the Silwad area," but forces dispatched to the scene were unable to identify them. It added that Israeli police had launched an investigation. Asked for comment on the latest death, a State Department spokesperson said "we can confirm the death of a US citizen in the town of Silwad in the West Bank," without naming Ayyad. "We condemn criminal violence by any party in the West Bank," the spokesperson said on condition of anonymity. The West Bank is home to some three million Palestinians, who live alongside about 500,000 Israeli settlers. Violence in the territory has surged throughout the Gaza war triggered by Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel.

Syria Sets up Committee to Probe Attacks on Civilians in Sweida Violence
Syria Sets up Committee to Probe Attacks on Civilians in Sweida Violence

Asharq Al-Awsat

time8 hours ago

  • Asharq Al-Awsat

Syria Sets up Committee to Probe Attacks on Civilians in Sweida Violence

Syria's new authorities have set up a committee tasked with investigating attacks on civilians during recent violence in the country's south, officials said Thursday. The fighting in Sweida province earlier in July killed hundreds of people, displaced tens of thousands, and threatened to unravel Syria's fragile postwar transition. It was sparked by tit-for-tat kidnappings between armed Bedouin clans and fighters with the Druze minority. Syrian government forces intervened to end the fighting. Syria's Justice Ministry said the committee would work to uncover the 'circumstances that led to the events in Sweida," investigate attacks and refer those implicated in them to the judiciary, state-run news agency SANA reported. The committee is to submit a final report within three months. A similar committee was formed in March, when sectarian violence on Syria's coast killed hundreds of civilians from the Alawite minority. Attacks by armed groups affiliated with former President Bashar al-Assad, a member of the Alawite minority, prompted Damascus to send security forces, which descended on the coast from other areas of the country, joined by thousands of armed civilians. That committee found there had been 'widespread, serious violations against civilians,' including by members of Syria's new security forces and that more than 1,400 people, most of them civilians, were killed. Its four-month investigation identified 300 people suspected of crimes, including murder, robbery, torture and looting and burning of homes and businesses. The suspects were referred for prosecution, the committee said but did not disclose how many were members of the security forces.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store