Four Salvadoran air-force personnel serving with Haiti’s U.N.-backed Gang Suppression Force were still missing on Oct. 20 after gangs attacked their armored vehicle near Port-au-Prince and fired on helicopters sent to reach them.
The attack took place Sunday, Oct. 18, in Santo, in the Croix-des-Bouquets area, as the soldiers were returning to camp. El Salvador’s military said gunfire and explosives hit the vehicle and set it on fire. The military said all four troops escaped.
Helicopters sent to support the search came under fire. Heavy fighting and dangerous conditions hindered efforts to reach the area by air and land. As of the latest reports, officials had not confirmed the soldiers’ location or condition.
Reports that they had been captured or killed remained unverified. The assault was described as the first major attack on the international force. The force began operations earlier this year to help Haitian police fight armed groups.
At a U.N. Security Council meeting, U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz said he believed the four had survived, though they were still missing. A U.N. spokesperson condemned the attack and called for their safe release. The search took place amid Haiti’s severe gang crisis.
U.N. figures cited in reports indicate violence has displaced nearly 1.5 million people across the country.