Four Salvadoran air force technicians serving with Haiti’s UN-backed Gang Suppression Force are missing after armed gangs attacked and burned their armored vehicle near Port-au-Prince, showing the growing dangers facing the international mission.
The attack happened on Sunday, October 18, in Santo, in the Croix-des-Bouquets area, as the men were returning to camp. El Salvador’s military said the four got out of the burning vehicle. It said contact with them was then lost.
Helicopters sent to help came under fire. Intense fighting hindered attempts to reach the area by air and by road. As of October 21, the search was continuing.
The force also reported that four other personnel had been wounded in recent fighting. At a UN Security Council meeting, the force’s special representative said hostile incidents against its personnel had risen from two to 15 in a month. The representative warned that gangs might retaliate after security operations.
The GSF has more than 2,000 personnel from several countries. But it remains well below its authorized strength as it works to help Haitian police fight gang violence. The attack’s perpetrators have not claimed responsibility.