QUITO, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Four people were killed in an armed attack inside a house in the Alberto Maldonado neighborhood in Ecuador's coastal province of Guayas early Wednesday, police reported.

According to preliminary reports, several hooded gunmen arrived in a vehicle, parked outside the house where a family gathering was taking place. Three of the gunmen entered the house and opened fire.

The attack took place under a state of emergency in Guayas, declared by the government in January for 60 days in response to a surge in criminal violence.

Ecuador recorded 9,216 homicides in 2025, according to official figures.

Although the number of homicides fell by 6.6 percent year on year to 747 in January 2026, the month was still the second most violent start to a year in the country's history, according to the Ministry of the Interior. ■