Quito | Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa said on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT) his country was “at war” with drug gangs who are holding prison guards hostage, amid a dramatic surge in violence in which gunmen briefly took over a TV live broadcast and explosions were heard in several cities.

Mr Noboa on Tuesday named 22 gangs as terrorist organisations, making them official military targets. The president took power in November pledging to tackle a growing security problem caused by a rise in drug-trafficking gangs transporting cocaine through Ecuador.

Reuters