International military forces operating in Haiti are conducting search operations for four Salvadoran soldiers who disappeared following a violent gang assault on their armoured vehicle on Sunday. The soldiers, identified as aviation technicians with the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF), managed to evacuate the burning vehicle in Croix-des-Bouquets, located north of Port-au-Prince. The incident represents the first significant attack targeting the international deployment since it commenced operations earlier this year.
According to statements from the Armed Forces of El Salvador released Monday, the troops were en route to their camp when they came under attack by armed gangs using explosives. Military helicopters were dispatched to locate the missing personnel and assess their whereabouts, but these aircraft also encountered hostile fire. Salvadoran officials indicated that multiple rescue attempts by both land and air had been undertaken, though the intensity of ongoing combat operations has limited progress. The GSF has recommended that civilians remain in their homes as operations continue.
The assault is expected to be a central focus during a UN Security Council meeting scheduled for Monday. The GSF, which officially launched operations on 1 June, has maintained a limited operational footprint while working toward full capacity by year’s end. The force currently deploys more than 1,500 military personnel from multiple nations including Chad, Jamaica and Guatemala.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. The incident occurs as Haiti prepares for its first general election in over a decade and underscores the substantial control wielded by criminal organizations over Port-au-Prince, where armed gangs reportedly control approximately 70 per cent of the capital. The area where the armoured vehicle was targeted is dominated by groups including Kraze Barye and 400 Mawozo, whose leaders have faced sanctions from both the UN and United States. Recent UN reporting has documented extensive violence perpetrated by criminal gangs, including killings, kidnappings and sexual assault, occurring amid widespread lack of accountability.
Haiti has experienced escalating humanitarian and security crises in recent years, with gang violence displacing 1.5 million people. UN figures indicate that between January and mid-September of this year, at least 5,700 individuals were killed or injured and 230 others were kidnapped.
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