At least three Haitian soldiers were killed in an apparent gang ambush Sunday in a town on the outskirts of Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince, Haitian authorities confirmed.
The area of Kenscoff has been under heavy fire in recent days as Haitian law enforcement have warred with the gang coalition known as Viv Ansanm.
It’s just the latest explosion of violence as Haitian authorities and foreign forces scramble to rein in gang warfare in the Caribbean nation.
Haiti’s government in a post on the social media platform X wrote that the soldiers died “on the front line … weapons in hand.”
“These soldiers are not just members of our armed forces. They are worthy sons of the Nation, defenders of our sovereignty, whose ultimate sacrifice will never be forgotten.
Their commitment is a powerful reminder that freedom and security come at a price, and that this price is sometimes paid in the blood of our bravest,” wrote the Haitian government in a statement.
Local media reported earlier in the day that a military reinforcement mission, traveling in an unarmored car, was transporting soldiers to a conflictive area in Kenscoff, when the soldiers were violently targeted by heavily armed men.
Video circulating on social media showed soldiers in camouflage pulling bodies out of the truck after the Sunday incident.
The team was on a joint security patrol with local and Kenyan officers under the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS).
Soon after the ambush, Kenyan officers and their Haitian counterparts from the Haitian National Police (PNH) launched a manhunt for the gangs, leaving many of them with injuries.
A Kenyan officer was hit and killed by gang members on March 25, during an operation in the Lower Artibonite region, which is located 92 kilometres north of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince.
During the tragedy, three armoured vehicles belonging to the peacekeepers were also set ablaze by gangs, creating a situation of panic among the officers.
Multi agency teams are still searching for the body of the officer who was killed in the ambush in Haiti, Inspector General of police Douglas Kanja has revealed.
Kanja said the body of constable Benedict Kabiru Kuria is yet to be found after the March 25 incident.
The MSS mission, led by Kenya, was launched to support Haitian authorities in restoring order amid escalating gang violence.
However, with the increasing number of casualties and operational difficulties, pressure is mounting on Kenyan authorities to address growing concerns over the safety and effectiveness of the deployment.
Violence in Port-au-Prince has led to record levels of displacement, exacerbating humanitarian conditions, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said during a press briefing on Wednesday.
Nearly 23,000 people were displaced in just one week in March, he said.
The crisis has also cut into vital supply lines across the country.
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