El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele disputed reports that human remains handed to Salvadoran forces in Haiti belonged to four missing aviation technicians, although the remains’ identities were still unconfirmed.
Bukele said the remains included a child. He said they also included a man who was taller than the missing technicians and someone wearing part of a foreign military uniform. He also cited identification cards and uniforms from other countries.
A nongovernmental organization delivered the remains to Salvadoran personnel at an airport. The organization said they were the missing men. The four technicians disappeared on Oct. 18, after an armed gang attacked their vehicle near Croix-des-Bouquets, outside Port-au-Prince.
They were returning to base from a market when the vehicle came under attack and caught fire. The men were serving with Haiti’s Gang Suppression Force, which was authorized by the U.N. The force supports efforts to fight organized crime.
The New York Times reported that four bodies recovered near the capital might be the missing Salvadorans. The newspaper said the bodies were badly burned. It said autopsies were needed to identify them.
El Salvador sent more than 100 special forces personnel to Haiti to support the search. Haitian authorities described finding the missing technicians as a priority.