[16] According to Peru, the Ecuadorian Army shot first at local Civil Guard troops, which exchanged fire for 30 minutes, holding back a potential advance and waiting for reinforcements.

[19] The Peruvian offensive began on July 23, being carried out by the newly formed Northern Army Detachment headed by General Eloy G. Ureta with the purpose of pushing north into El Oro Province to prevent more skirmishes along the disputed border.

The mission consisted of bombing the Ecuadorian post of Quebrada Seca, where they had concentrated the bulk of their anti-aircraft artillery and placed machine guns.

[1] According to Peruvian accounts, instead of parachuting to safety, Quiñones chose to crash his damaged aircraft into the Ecuadorian position, rendering the battery out of action.

[20] The Peruvian destroyer Almirante Villar set sail from Zorritos with the mission of entering Ecuadorian waters and carrying out patrolling and reconnaissance tasks in the area.

The fact that the patrol boat was the target as well as the subsequent defense of it carried out by Ecuadorian troops prevented valuable explosives located nearby from being attacked and ignited.