At least 68 prisoners have been killed in new fighting at an Ecuadorean prison where more than a hundred inmates died in clashes between rival gangs in September, officials say.

The riot at the Litoral Penitentiary in the city of Guayaquil reportedly began on Friday evening.

Police tactical units who entered the prison buildings found guns, explosives and blades, reports say.

Officials say they have re-gained control of the jail.

Nearly 300 inmates have died so far this year in the country’s prisons, and September’s gang-related violence was the worst in Ecuador’s history.

Some 119 inmates lost their lives during a riot in the Litoral Penitentiary on 28 September.

The latest fighting at the prison in Guayaquil, Guayas province, has also left 25 people injured and follows a smaller armed clash earlier this month in which three inmates were shot dead.

There were reports of further violence at the prison later on Saturday and soldiers were deployed as reinforcements, securing the outside of the facility in armoured vehicles.

The latest fighting at the prison in Guayaquil, Guayas province, has also left 25 people injured and follows a smaller armed clash earlier this month in which three inmates were shot dead.

There were reports of further violence at the prison later on Saturday and soldiers were deployed as reinforcements, securing the outside of the facility in armoured vehicles.