Ecuadorian prison official wounded in armed assault

Quito, Sep 20 (IANS) Two people, including an official working for Ecuador's national prison administration agency SNAI, were wounded after armed assailants opened fire on their vehicle in downtown Quito, the SNAI said.

"As a result of this attack, people were injured and have been transferred to receive urgent medical attention," it said, adding that the National Police is investigating the incident, reports Xinhua news agency.

"We categorically reject any act of violence or intimidation against officials of our institution," the agency said.

According to a local television news broadcast, the shooting occurred before 8:00 a.m. local time on a major avenue with abundant traffic.

The incident came just seven days after a similar assault claimed the life of Maria Icaza, director of Ecuador's largest prison, the Litoral Penitentiary in the southwestern city of Guayaquil.

Earlier on September 12, the director of Ecuador's biggest prison was killed in an armed attack, the second such killing in under two weeks in the Latin American country, the SNAI prison agency said.

Maria Daniela Icaza, director of the infamous Litoral penitentiary in the port city Guayaquil died of injuries sustained "following an armed attack on the road" leading to the nearby town of Daule, the agency said.

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