Search underway in Haiti for four Salvadoran soldiers after gang attack — Al Jazeera
In Haiti, international forces are trying to establish contact with four Salvadoran soldiers who went missing after armed groups attacked an armored vehicle in Croix-des-Bouquets, north of the capital Port-au-Prince. As Al Jazeera reports, the attack occurred on Sunday: a vehicle of the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force was attacked with explosives.
The four Salvadoran soldiers, who worked as aviation technicians, managed to leave the armored vehicle engulfed in flames. El Salvador's Armed Forces said they were returning to camp when they came under attack.
Fighting complicates search efforts
Helicopters were deployed to determine the soldiers' whereabouts, but they also came under fire. A statement by the Salvadoran army said that repeated attempts to approach the area by land and air were complicated by the intensity of the fighting.
The Gang Suppression Force said it was assessing the situation and advised residents to stay at home. This is the first major attack on international forces since they began operations this year.
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UN Security Council meeting
The UN Security Council planned to hold a meeting on Haiti on Monday, where the attack on the UN-backed forces was expected to become one of the main topics. The Gang Suppression Force officially began operations on June 1, but so far operates with limited capabilities. According to the UN, it is expected to reach full operational capability by the end of the year.
More than 1,500 contingent personnel are currently in Haiti, including from Chad, Jamaica and Guatemala. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. The area where the armored vehicle was hit is controlled by the Kraze Barye and 400 Mawozo groups; their leaders, Vitel'homme Innocent and Lanmo Sanjou, are under UN and US sanctions.
According to a source's estimate, armed groups control about 70% of Port-au-Prince. From January to mid-September, at least 5,700 people in Haiti were killed or injured because of violence, while another 230 people were abducted.
