The incident comes after a period of unrest in Ecuador. The country's president, Daniel Noboa, declared a national state of emergency on Monday after a notorious gang criminal leader escaped from prison, Reuters reports.
"Since then, gang members have taken over prisons, prison guards and police officers have been kidnapped," says SVT's Latin America correspondent Tigran Feiler.
"This is a very dramatic development and a shock for Ecuador, which is sinking deeper and deeper into this spiral of violence," he added.
Carry automatic weapons
The broadcast on the state television channel lasted for at least half an hour. The lights went out but sounds could be heard, eventually even when the police entered the studio. According to Reuters, a task force will be on site.
"Police, police," shouted a uniformed man and was told that there were injured people in the room.
The masked men were carrying both automatic weapons and grenades during the attack, in which several employees were allegedly taken hostage.
"Reminiscent of Escobar"
According to Tigran Feiler, this is one of several events in a spiral of violence in Ecuador that has left its claws deep in Ecuadorian society.
"It brings to mind what happened in neighboring Colombia in the 80s and 90s, when Pablo Escobar and the Medillin Cartel were really threatening the foundations of society," he says.
The text will be updated