Six people, including a two-year-old child, were killed in a gun attack on a beach in Ecuador, police said. Multiple gunmen opened fire on a beach in southwestern Ecuador on Sunday (December 28), local time, AFP reported.

Three others were injured in the attack in Puerto Lopez, a popular whale-watching destination. Several gunmen in a van and two motorcycles opened fire and fled.

Local media reports said it was the third such attack in the city this week, with nine people reported dead so far.

The whereabouts of the gunmen are still unknown. Police said in a statement that initial reports indicated that the attack may have been the result of internal disputes between criminal groups.

Ecuador is located between Colombia and Peru, two of the world's top cocaine exporters, and has seen increased violence there due to gangs linked to Mexican and Colombian cartels.

The country's President Daniel Noboa has enacted a number of strict policies, but to date they have done little to curb the violence.