Haitian police and government officials said on Friday, November 6, that Mathias Saintil, whom police identified as the leader of the Boston gang, died after a security operation in Cité Soleil, Port-au-Prince.
Police said Saintil was killed during the operation and had several gunshot wounds. A police source told Al Jazeera that Saintil later died in hospital. Haiti’s National Network for the Defense of Human Rights gave a different account, saying Saintil was critically injured in a drone strike in the Boston neighborhood on Thursday night.
The network said he died while receiving treatment the next day. The accounts differ on how Saintil was injured, and available reports do not explain the difference. Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé welcomed the news on social media.
He said the country had “one less gang leader” as authorities continued their campaign against armed groups. Boston is part of Cité Soleil, a densely populated district where gangs have established themselves and control residents. Saintil’s death comes as security operations have increased in and around the capital.
His death alone does not show whether gang control in the area will weaken. Human rights groups have also raised concerns that civilians may be at risk during operations involving explosive drones.