The perpetrators are said to have been wearing military-style uniforms when they killed the victims. The youngest is said to have been a 16-year-old boy.
The incident took place in Manabí in western Ecuador, one of nine provinces where a state of emergency has been in place due to the violence since January.
Ecuador has seen a dramatic increase in deadly violence in recent years. Last year, the number of murders rose by 30 percent compared with 2024.
