QUITO, May 6 (Xinhua) -- A municipal councilor in Ecuador's southwestern province of Guayas was shot dead Tuesday night while taking part in a volleyball match, local media reported Wednesday.

Antonio Cool, a councilor in the municipality of El Empalme, was attacked at a court near the rural community of El Limon. Three other people were injured.

Witnesses said armed men on a motorcycle arrived at the scene and opened fire directly at Cool, causing panic among those present.

Cool had served as a councilor since 2023 and was a member of the Citizen Revolution Movement.

Police launched an operation in the area to collect evidence and search for those responsible. Authorities have not yet determined a motive.

El Empalme Mayor Rodolfo Cantos expressed condolences in a statement posted on social media.

The killing comes as Ecuador continues to battle organized crime under an "internal armed conflict" declared in January 2024 against gangs designated by the government as terrorist groups.

A nighttime curfew is in effect from May 3 to 18 in nine provinces, including Guayas, and four high-crime cantons as part of security measures aimed at reducing violence.

Ecuador recorded 9,216 intentional homicides in 2025, the highest annual figure in its history, according to official data. ■