The Ministry of Defense does not rule out that the explosion in the Montecristi radar facilities is the product of a terrorist attack

The Ministry of Defense does not rule out that the explosion registered at dawn this Sunday at the radar facilities located on the Montecristi hill, Manabí, is due to a possible terrorist attack.

This was indicated in a statement released in the afternoon. To date, personnel from the National Police and the Armed Forces carry out investigation work to clarify this event and determine the damage caused to the operation of the radar system.

“At the moment a possible terrorist attack could not be ruled out,” said the State portfolio in the statement.

Radar gear pump failure in Montecristi hill caused an explosion that alerted nearby towns

There was an alarm in Montecristi

Inhabitants of several communes, neighborhoods and citadels of the Montecristi canton hope to know an official version of what happened early this Sunday at the top of the hill of this canton, where a radar was installed to control illegal activities and in which it would have occurred A damage.

The roar was recorded around 03:30 on Sunday, November 7, and was heard in several areas adjacent to the slopes of the Montecristi hill.

Amparo Chávez, a resident of the Tohalla Grande commune, where you can access the top of the hill, indicated that she was scared when she heard what she described as an explosion.

Héctor Anchundia, vice president of the Bajo del Pechiche commune, a neighbor of the Tohalla Grande commune, indicated that they did not hear a great noise, as they did in homes located in the urban area of ​​Montecristi and of which he had reference by calls from friends of various points of the city, who did confirm that they heard the roar.

“From six o’clock in the morning there began to be a movement of soldiers who went up and that is what worries the peace of our community members and we began to leave, and already in the course of the day we could know that the radar gear was the one that had exploded We heard that ”, declared Anchundia.

At noon this Sunday, the presence of a greater number of soldiers and police caught the attention of community members. The frigate captain Sergio Torres indicated that it will be the authorities at the central level who will pronounce on the issues raised in the radar zone of Spanish origin.

“At this moment we are maintaining security and official statements will be given by the competent authorities, I am not authorized to give any information, we are only with security on the perimeter,” said Torres.

Juan Francisco Núñez, Governor of Manabí, indicated that the police were at the scene verifying the events in the area where the radar was installed.

“There has been a loud noise on the radar, it would have been generated by an alleged failure in the operation of the gear pump, it is confirming what specifically generated that, at this moment the police are doing the corresponding expert opinion in the place and the The Minister of Defense is the only person authorized to speak on the subject, ”said Núñez. (I)