Officials in Ecuador say a senior leader of the Los Choneros gang, which was behind many of the recent deadly riots in the country's prisons, has been killed in neighboring Colombia, BBC News reported.

A body found in a wooded area in Antioquia province has been identified as that of Junior Roldan.

He fled to Colombia after he was injured in an attempt on his life in his native Ecuador.

Roldan had been released from prison in February.

The body, which had a gunshot wound to the head, was found last Saturday.

Roldan was considered a fugitive after he had ditched the electronic ankle bracelet he had been fitted with when he was released from jail.

The gang leader crossed into Colombia after he was shot and injured in March by members of rival gang Los Lobos (The Wolves).

He also survived another attack in which drones laden with explosives were set off above the prison wing in which he was locked up at the time.

Despite this history of previous attempts on his life, Ecuador's commander of police, Gen Fausto Salinas, said that intelligence reports suggested that his murder was not part of a war between rival gangs.

Named after their power base in the town of Chone, the Los Choneros gang mainly engages in drug trafficking and extortion.