STORY: Armed men in balaclavas interrupted a live TV broadcast in Ecuador on Tuesday. 

They stormed the studio a day after President Daniel Noboa declared a national state of emergency, which he later followed with a decree listing 22 gangs as terrorist organizations. 

The masked men were seen telling staff of the television station TC to get on the floor. 

"They shot one of our cameramen in the leg, broke the arm of another one. They fired bullets, they used their weapons inside. The police was alerted and the police came in minutes, surrounded the TV station and the tactical units intervened. They shot. The subjects were heavily armed, had long-range weapons and wore balaclavas."

Authorities confirmed they've regained control of the public channel's studio in the city of Guayaquil, and detained over a dozen suspects.

A sense of unease settled over Ecuador's capital, Quito, after news of the attack at the TV station.

Shops closed early, and people rushed home.

Residents said they felt the city was in chaos.

"They tell us to leave earlier at work, and if the transport for our commute home hasn't arrived yet, that we should stay away from any suspicious objects. Overall, there's a feeling of fear. You can clearly feel nervousness all around."

"Not only people are scared, they're terrified. And it's not surprising, they are right. How is it possible even malls are shutting down, in a country that needs to create more sources of employment. Can you believe that?"

The TV station attack was the latest in a week of chaos in Ecuador.

Over the weekend, Adolfo Macias, the powerful leader of the Los Choneros criminal gang, apparently escaped from the prison where he was serving a 34-year sentence.

Meanwhile, there were instances of violence in other prisons, kidnappings of police officers, and explosions, including car bombs, reported across the country.

On Monday, President Noboa declared a 60-day state of emergency, and a day later declared the situation an 'internal armed conflict.'

Ecuador's military now patrol the streets at night.

A curfew has been imposed across the country.

Peru on Tuesday declared an emergency along its northern border with Ecuador.

Peruvian Prime Minister Alberto Otarola announced soldiers would be sent to help Peruvian police there, as violence blamed on criminal gangs surges in its neighbor.